Which boxer in history would you pick in a bar fight?

Liston or Foreman. I guess the reason is obvious ;-)

 

I'd pick Johnny B.

 

Mike Tyson. Pure street fighter before he became a boxer and in a tight bar space throwing those short hard punches would be useful

 

Charles Sonny Liston should be on a poster as the man you should avoid in a bar, the street , clubs, casino's or restaurant.

 

BHOP. He actually did five years in the joint.

 

Sonny Liston but I’d feel pretty safe with Vitali behind me, Duran would be a great choice but you’d have to go with the heavies, Lewis Foreman etc

 

Charlie Zelenoff - Undefeated in over 300 fights.

 

EDIT: From reading other posts, most are interpreting this thread as a boxer vs. average man. I thought it was boxer vs. boxer in a no rules fight. Any boxer would be effective against the average man in a bar.

How about Floyd "Jumbo" Cummings? He probably did 30-40 years in prison combined, bench pressed 500+, was mentioned by Frank Bruno as the hardest hitter he ever faced, and according to old Sports Illustrated stories was a great athlete running and jumping. He'd be hard to handle in any type fight.
https://www.the-sun.com/sport/boxing/2805233/meet-jumbo-cummings-hardest-puncher-prison-murder/

Another would be Leif Larson, an all around athlete who at one time held the NFL combine record for number of bench presses with 225 pounds, superb athlete who made it to the NFL with little football experience, won some judo competitions, and went 17-2 as a pro boxer and with little experience beat some decent boxers and gave Odlanier Solis a tough fight.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leif_Olve_Dolonen_Larsen

These guys could box well enough to negate any boxing advantages their opponent might have and their strength would allow them to dominate most people in any contest without rules.

More on Cummings:
https://cdnc.ucr.edu/?a=d&d=DS19780204.2.111&dliv=none&e=-------en--20--1--txt-txIN--------1

 

And Ron Lyle

 

John L. Sullivan, I would choose him because I think he was not technically well-versed, against more modern boxers I would probably suffer heavy beatings...

 

You might want to go for guys who actually had experience in successful barfights or in criminal violence generally. Preferably a scary guy with size.

Ron Lyle (killed a guy)
Sonny Liston (fights with police, mob legbreaker)
John L. Sullivan (numerous barfights and bareknuckle fights)
Mike Tyson (verifiably fought Mitch Green with apparent success in a bar)
Larry Holmes (dropkick)
Nikolai Valuev (huge and scary, was a bouncer)
Tex Cobb (bouncer, also a martial artist)
James Figg (Weapons expert)


Though you also need to worry about finding someone who won't get you sent up the river as an accomplice to a barroom homicide, so it's a balance...

 

Who are we fighting though?

Pretty much 95% of elite boxers would be overkill for a loud fratboy in a bar.

 

I'd pick Mirko Filipovic.

Cr Cop was a boxer before a kickboxer and he knows BJJ too. All bases are covered.

Right leg hospital, left leg cemetary

 

Mike Tyson. The fear alone that he might literally cannibalize someone in a fit of rage would cause anyone to think twice before they attempt anything.

A bar fight is no holds barred, eye gouging, kicks to the groin and yes biting.

Remember Tyson Fury's dad was sentenced to 11 years in prison for a fight where he litterally gouged a man's eyeball out. There are no Queensberry rules in a street/bar fight.