Where Does Sonny Liston Rank As An ATG Heavyweight?

Disagree.

Look at Reddish and then go back and look at the trainers of past heavyweight champs and the future heavyweight champs. And just what high esteem was Reddish held in before Liston anyway? It wasn't as if there weren't a ton of terrific trainers around in the early 50's.

 

Yeah, just because you don't have the name of "Dundee" "Futch" etc. doesn't mean you aren't a good trainer. There are trainers who never make it out of some dark and dusty gym who are as good as anyone, you need to be in the right place at the right time.

I rate Liston about 5-6. Head to head he is a monster and he cleaned out the division in a very short time.

 

I'm with Muchmoore once again ...possibly higher ...

 

He wasn't scared of Ingo either.When a Swedish reporter wished Machen luck.Eddie reportedly said,do yo really think I'll need it.Now here was a guy who got just what he was asking for,a real good old fashioned country style whippin.

 

Liston was awesome. The often repeated fights with Clay will be his legacy which is a shame because the fights prior with class acts such as Floyd, Foley and Williams were so one sided it was scary. The guy would have been a beast in any era. But like most bullies he struggled when he couldn't intimidate his opponents. Once his bubble burst and he was beaten he never was the same. Sad end to a great life too.

 

If he'd never lost those fights to Ali, Sonny Liston would have his legacy. His reputation of being 'invincible' in the ring ended that night in 1964.

That being said, if Ali would have never come along, I think Sonny would have ruled until the late 60s or early 1970s where a prime Joe Frazier would take him.