Which HW Champion has the best chance to intimidate/get in the head of Tyson

It may be an obvious answer but Ali. He would have absolutely tormented Tyson in the build up to a fight between them. If he evventually got to someone as mentally tough as Joe Frazier, Ali wouldn't have to break a sweat to get inside Tyson's head.

 

I think liston would intimidate him worse than any other hw. Everyone else was playing the badguy and bragging about their hood, liston was the badguy. You could make a gangster flick about listons life without even focusing on his boxing career!

And thats not even factoring the physical aspect. Liston had a ridiculous reach and a powerful jab. No one ever made him back up, and he threw with bad intentions and ferocity just like tyson. Tyson would know from the opening bell liston isnt going anywhere, isnt afraid of him, and is gonna be hitting him back just as hard. That alone would be unsettling to think about for anyone.

Let me put it another way: ali admitted the only time he was scared was the first liston fight, and ali was a certified badass.

 

Liston
Foreman
Johnson
Ali
Louis

These 5 have the ability to win the psychological piece IMO

 

Of course not, but he would have caused him problems disproportionate to his ability.

 

Liston
Foreman
Maybe lyle
Ali

I disagree about jack johnson, Tyson would've known he was going to tear through the man so he wouldn' find him intimidating

 

Incidentally, there is no correlation whatsoever, between a fighters skill as an intimidator, and their head to head ability!

Perhaps the acme of skill is to intimidate your head to head superior!

 

Liston bully the bully, Lewis had supreme confidence he had Tyson number and maybe a younger Holmes cause he took no sh*t from anyone.

 

I don't think he would have caused him any problems at all quite frankly.

Your comment makes very little sense to me Jan.

 

I don't think any fighter would "intimidate" Mike Tyson. I've never been around a boxer who was intimidated by his opponent. This includes two amateurs with 10-15 fights who suddenly found they were fighting a national champion. They weren't afraid, they looked at it as a chance to make a name for themselves. Both fought well.

I can't speak for all of Liston's opponents, but Liston didn't intimidate the only person I knew who fought him. The guy I knew had a write up in his gym from a newspaper about his weigh in with Liston. The article said that Liston was staring at the guy and the guy invited Liston outside. Men who are in good shape, who are used to getting hit aren't afraid of other people in a boxing ring. I asked the guy about Liston, he said Liston was "just a boxer."

Sonny Liston's criminal record was not extensive, a robbery and a couple assault on police officer charges wouldn't be unusual in a lot of areas. The guy I knew who fought Liston probably knew hundreds of people with more extensive criminal histories.

An opponent might be able to make Mike Tyson angry but no boxer is going to have him intimidated before a fight.

 

Clay/Ali would have 'mussed' with Tysons head big time, perpetual psychological warfare, Tysons only hope would have been if D'Amoto was still around, as D'Amoto was a psychology genius himself.

 

I don’t think Tyson was capable of feeling intimidated in his prime.

 

Yeah i know this is nonsense because ive intimidated several opponents before. Ive seen guys shiver and freeze like deers in headlights before, sometimes during the fight. And ive seen it in some live matches ive witnessed.

Tyson himself even has a famous clip on youtube explaining how to intimidate opponents. You can see the expressions and mannerism of a guy who dreads what is to come and wont look him in the eyes.

Several boxers across history have admitted to being intimidated or scared of an opponent.

One opponent out of 60 who claims he wasnt scared of liston isnt proof that "no professional fighter gets intimidated".

As for listons criminal history, you do know he broke peoples legs for the mob right? He even beat up cops. He got his start as a boxer in prison where intimidation and fear are everything. Tyson was just a shy kid who got bullied and later become a thief and street fighter and thats about it as far as crimes go. Like i said, you could make an entire movie about listons criminal connections.

 

Vitali
Evander Holyfield
Tyson Fury

Holyfield we all know because he had a mental breakdown against him.

Lewis doesn’t count as getting “inside his head” because he lost that fight due to being shot to peices.

Tyson Fury because he is the best psychologist and psychiatrist in the game. He ruined Wlad mentally in advance of their fight.

Vitali because he always got the psychological advantage over his opponents, and Mike was proven to be soft in that regard.

 

3 off the top of my head, Ali of course, Liston, and prime Foreman. Possibly Lyle, and Shavers. ( But prime Tyson beats those 2 easily but that threat of their power and their persona could make Tyson very un easy, after all,Tyson was a typical bully) maybe Holmes , Holyfield with that quite confidence that almost could be felt coming off them, could be unnerving to Tyson.