I think Tyson would have been afraid of Liston. I think however that goes 1 of 2 ways, he'd be so alert and explosive he'd demolish Liston or he'd stand and take a hiding like he did with Lewis.
You forgot to mention Tyson being afraid of Foreman (granted, this info is mostly from reliable second hand sources). I mean, the cash involved in that fight would have been sensationally lucrative for him, but no fight? Foreman made it damn clear to the world he wanted Mike Tyson, top priority. Anyway, Mike was afraid of both those punchers, and with good reason. Let's break it down (yo): Tyson had no heart, very good defense, superior hand speed, very excellent power, a very good jab, and a not-so-great chin. Liston had no heart, Foreman-style punching style, a jab only Holmes and Ali could better, good defense (I think he definitely took more punches than Mike, but they both took too many), plus an excellent chin. Liston also had the reach…it would be even easier for Liston to reach Mike than would Foreman because of that reach. Sonny might have taken longer than George to catch Tyson coming in, but either way Tyson gets knocked out (cold) within four rounds. That doesn't take into account if Mike was on coke and/or steroids during the fight; evidence seems to be coming to light that steroids probably had a lot to do with Mike's major victories (probably one of the worse kept secrets in boxing). Still, Liston was just a better fighter. All just my worthless opinion.
Tyson had an excellent chin. And he also had heart, it's just his hyper-energetic peek-a-boo style zaps your power as the fight progresses. Watch the Lewis fight back and tell me he doesn't given the shots he ate.
I saw a washed up fighter who might have barely won the first round. The only reason he stayed up so long was he tried hard to keep his hands up (which was admittedly super smart). Lewis didn't land solidly through a lot of that fight (even a cursory look at that fight proves it). Which proves Tyson still had experience on his side (I should also mention Lewis was never the most accurate puncher when it came to the straight and overhand right). When he did get hit solidly it was over.
Tyson had a better chin on drugs, but coke does that, it anesthesizes you. He apparently couldn't score steroids for that fight, so he looked pretty much the way he did against Douglas: kinda deflated.
Well the interesting thing is the way the peek a boo style was ineffective against Sonny... Paterson was destroyed not once but twice. Now I understand Tyson is bigger, stronger and hits harder, I just don’t know if style wise Tyson would last the distance with Sonny. Like a previous poster said Sonny would not be intimidated, and it might be the first time we saw Tyson in with someone who may very well intimidate him. If Tyson doesn’t have Sonny out in the first few rounds Sonny wins by Ko.
It's true, Mike was sensational in the first three rounds...I just wonder if a fully warmed up Liston, with that freaky reach, would have a hard time at all getting to Mike. And Mike couldn't take flush power punches very well. He really disliked great jabs as well and Liston might have had the best besides Ali and Holmes.
I must admit, with all Tyson's drug use coming more and more to light it's really hard to put him against fighters who weren't on them.
If you think about it this would have been the first time Tyson went up against a real killer in the ring, ( not meaning murderer) someone who was really trying to hurt him with bad intensions this time. Fascinating match up
Hmm.... Tyson would walk right into shots and get jabbed back when he got close Gutless? He was about 38 in the Ali fight. Weak chinned? If he was weak chinned, he wouldn't have stood up to Cleveland Williams or Floyd Patterson. If an Ancient Holmes goes 4 rounds with Tyson then a prime Liston can make the first minute
I never said Liston had anything except an excellent chin. Tyson's chin was suspect (at least, when he wasn't coked out of his mind). Compare Liston vs Ali (both fights) and Tyson/Holmes. Larry got back up and fought back as hard as he could (given Tyson's drug-fueled attack). Liston gave up (and it wasn't his trainer doing it for him, he gave up.) Both Ali (against Holmes) and Frazier (in the 3rd Ali fight) wanted to go on.
I have to say, I'm glad we agree in Listons chin. I thought it was common Knowledge that Holmes had more heart than Liston To call him gutless though, thats just wrong imo
Prime Tyson, very early days couldn't be intimidated. He also overrates past fighters better than himself out of respect imo, a lot do it. In a fire fight Tyson gets off much faster and has enough power to dent anyone, and although he has to respect Listons own power, he's been in with bigger hitters and not been rocked unless he was looking for the door past his best, Liston would have never sampled someone remotely as strong/powerful vicious . Prime Tyson>>> prime Liston, the Tyson that Holy fought still has a BIG chance imo of beating a prime Liston