Which former champion was viewed as the most unbeatable as an active champion?

If we are talking about contemporary perception, then Jeffries when he retired would be a prety good call.

His career basicaly wound down in his prime, because nobody was seen as a credible opponent.

 

Robinson, Louis, Tyson or Ali..One of those 4

 

In retrospect, some of the guys who were seen as the most unbeatable... really weren't. For a short period of time Max Baer was one of these guys. He was feared and few believed anyone could beat after he stopped Primo Carnera in brutal fashion. He lost to Jimmy Braddock in his first title defense.

Mike Tyson and George Foreman are top 2 in my opinion. Liston for a short period. Pernell Whitacker, RJJ, Julio C. Chavez, Floyd Mayweather Jr., the Klitschko's since they have had the titles they have now.

 

foreman after he destroyed frazir and norton was clearly considered unbeatable, tyson after of the spinks fight too " and the question is, who in this world would have a chance against this man?"

 

Who was gonna beat Liston? Sonny had destroyed his predecessor twice in a single round. Cleveland Williams had size, power and hand speed, got off first, yet Liston crushed him twice.

Machen did go the 12 round distance, but it wasn't as close as the still lopsided scoring suggested. If Sonny hadn't been docked three times for low blows, Eddie wouldn't have come closer than five points, seven points and ten points on any of the cards.

Unlike Foreman on his rise to the title, Liston had cleared out a number of contenders. Big Cat II, Folley, Roy Harris and Machen made his 1960 campaign alone seem more impressive to many than all eight of Floyd's title fight wins put together.

That big mouthed Clay kid from Louisville? A genius at self-promotion, but he was still a teenager at the Rome Olympics when Sonny put together his 1960 streak, had already been exposed by Doug Jones and Henry Cooper, and only had 19 professional bouts going into 1964. [Patterson was 30-1-0 going into the match against Moore for Marciano's vacated title.] Man against a boy here. Why on earth was that kid even getting a shot? Candy from a baby.

 

Just watched Liston at his best..vs Williams l & ll. He was awesome beating the real, pre-gunshot Big Cat.

 

People are coming at this from the wrong angle.

They are looking at the fighters records and trying to judge how they were regarded, rather than looking at what people were actually saying about them.

Sometimes what people thought at the time, flies in the face of common sense.

I think that the early champions such as Sullivan and Jeffries had a greater aura of invincibility surrounding them than people who came after them, simply because there was less history for observers to draw upon.

 

There was never a champion who was considered any more unbeatable than Liston was.

He was also thought to be the ruination of professional boxing with his criminal background and Mob ties.

 

Roberto Duran.

 

"May be invincible when in prime condition" was one prominent magazine's assessment of El Cholo between Palomino and Montreal.

 

Sonny Liston and Mike Tyson. Also George Foreman for that sort window in 1974.

 

This :good

 

ali never looked unbeatable, he did prove that he could beat the "unbeatable" guys, it is a different thing. liston was going to kill him , foreman was going to kill him, ali never looked unbeatable.

 

foreman would have a picnic with these guys, he looked unbeatable against poor rivals or natural smaller men, a green young 22 years old ali exposed him easily.

 

I have not see anyone suggesting he was going to lose in the 60s post Liston...