Sonny Liston vs Mike Tyson,who wins?

Liston by stoppage, mid-to-late rounds. I agree for the most part with McGrain's analysis.

 

A Prime, fearless Mike Tyson would probably win this fight. (This means I'm giving Mike better than 50%, nothing more)

Sonny was tough as nails, with a long reach, and ability to give and receive punishment

What he was not:

Super Fast
Super Tall
Super Strong / Large (roughly 6' and 212 lbs)

 

I'd probably edge with Tyson on this. Listons jab was solid and we did see Buster give Tyson nightmares with his so if Liston had his popping off it would be something Tyson could have trouble with. However Tyson also at very good head movement, if it was there for the fight between them two meaning a prime Tyson I think he would win the fight.

 

Both were mentally fragile. It would be an interesting fight for sure.

 

Tyson in an absolute war

 

I do not say a fighter has a Glass Jaw unless he does.

 

tysons edge for so much of his prime was his brooding malevolence presence..he had fighters beaten before they threw a punch..the thought of mike advancing, neck twitching, and debilitating power in both hands just ready to detonate was enough to take away many a fighters desire to win and turn it into a desire to survive....

..noway, no how does he intimidate liston....so this fight starts, not on an even playing field, but with tyson being the intimidated fighter.....i think this figh has a lot to do with the individual pshyche of each man, and i just see liston having such an edge here.....ali mentally intimidated sonny cos sinny thought ali was a crazy s.o.b....liston will have been dealing with men like tyson in and out of the ring since an early age..tysons prescence will not move liston one bit...

so, on skill sets....i can see tyson having some success early, not so much hurting liston but piling up a decent lead in rounds 1 thru 4, being busier while sonny finds his range, perhaps, worryingly from his onw point of view, gaining some confidence and enabling him to relax a little in the ring....i can just see tyson thinkin, gee, this fella aint so bad....rounds 4 thru 9 liston starts to measure tyson..tysons workrate drops off as he is discouraged by those clubbing jabs, and repeatedly caught with heavy though not explosive uppercuts and stragiht rights on the way in..this discourages tyson who starts bitching to the ref about, well, anything......tyson guts it out , still having some success of his own before liston backs him up in the 10th..rmemebr, mike isnt good goin back...see williams/douglas for proof of this....and the referee finally stops an outgunned though still on his feet tyson in this round.....a great match up.....

oh, and im a huge fan of tyson and liston but i just feel that liston has the edge in mental fortitude and whilst not so explosive a fighter is a more complete fioghter than mikey ever was.....