Why are Tyson & Liston considered bullies

Bullies because when faced with great opposition they acted as bullies act when confronted. Liston quit on his stool. Tyson fouled out.

 

The OP asks a solid question, this title or concept of bully was applied to him by many in the early stages of his title run and perhaps prior. It may have given people more fuel for calling him a bully as he caved to pressure in the later years, but it is not because of these that he was perceived as a bully

 

Liston had a bad-boy persona due to his arrest record. Tyson was always portrayed as dark. Hell, just look at some of his quotes and that will answer your question.

Styles play a factor too. Neither of them would be considered much of a bully if he was boxing behind the jab trying to score points and stay on the outside.

 

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I think in both men's case it was simply a matter on many of their opponents feeling defeated before the bell even rang. Foreman was also considered so, a lot less in his second career because he was gregarious and friendly.

 

This is far too simplistic.
Liston carried on through adversity against:
Williams[broken nose] Marshall ,[broken jaw].
Tyson was still struggling to put his mouthpiece in when stopped by Douglas,and took some hellacious shots from Ruddock without hitting the deck or thinking about quitting.

Many fighters have turned it in for varying reasons,Duran,Langford ,Wills ,Delahoya.To name just 4, were they bullies too?

 

I don't think it's a simple as calling them bullies, they were both brave men. Apart from the bite fight Tyson took his beatings and tried to win, his was just over matched. Their image invoked fear, when guys like that lose the assumption is they are bullies. It's a lazy theory that detractors hang on to.

 

Tyson outside the ring has a record as long as your arm for fighting/road rage against your average joe, of course hes a bully....Them fellas would be petrified of him and he knew it but didn't give a ****.....He took his lumps but when it wasn't going his way he mentally broke down. He has a totally different psyche to a true true fighter like Holy or Frazier. They were unflinchingly far tougher men, they would battle through hell to beat you time and time again....Even trying to break Bothas arm because he couldn't deal with him...No doubt in my mind Tyson was a bully in and out the ring...One thing Tyson is very good at is acting the victim, so dangerously sly imo

 

What about Naz? Now he was a bully.

 

Of course its fair! Tyson bit part of an ear off Holy tried to break an arm of Botha an and was lucky he wasn't dq for dropping the ref in the Golota fight after refusing to stop when told, or was it Savarese?!? With regards to his outside the ring troubles, who else was in court for assaulting your average joe multiple times like him??? You don't have to be there to see the picture if its happening regular..Ali holding the head is dirty but pails in comparison

 

yep, classic example !

 

Perfect!!!