Tyson is a bad match up against Sonny, Liston had a murderous jab and thunderous power . Tyson ain't intimidating Sonny, Mike was trying to act like a thug, Liston was the real thing. The fight would be George and Sonny ,,,,Foreman sparred with an old Liston and said that was the only man he was in the ring with that he couldn't back up. I'd lean toward George but a young Liston might take it past 5 and KO George
Tyson and Foreman are both superior boxers to Sonny Liston. Liston's jab is big time overrated. His jab was slow and lacked the snap of someone like Joe Louis, Lewis or Klitschko. He threw telegraphed haymakers, and his defence was open. Tyson is very fast with his hands just like Ali, but he also punches hard, and has a solid chin. I think Tyson would dominate him, and stop him in the early rounds. Foreman KO'ed two fighters in the 70s in only two rounds in Joe Fraizer, and Ken Norton who were both better than Sonny Liston. Sonny Liston's best wins don't compare in the slightest to the wins of Tyson and Foreman. The only reason Liston gets bummed up is because he was the only good fighter Ali beat in the 60s, when he was supposedly at his best.
Angelo Dundee said Liston had the hardest jab in heavyweight history and he'd seen it knock teeth out, that sounds like snap to me.Tyson could get Sonny ,no doubt. Sonny Liston in my opinion would kill Ken Norton, soon as he tasted the power Norton couldn't come forward and he got Ko'ed by every man he couldn't back up.Sonny was acclaimed in the 60's because he was the Tyson of his day , destroying fighters.
Three of the most fearsome heavyweights ever. I'd probably go with Foreman as the best and most formidable of the three. However, at his absolute but all too brief peak the young Tyson was capable of knocking out just about anyone. Sonny Liston, I think, still holds the record for the longest reach ever.
I don't know about Liston beating a young Mike Tyson. Too much elusiveness and speed. The speed of Tyson combined with the power could be too much. When I think of Foreman vs Liston, I think of Lyle vs Foreman. Prime Liston was better than Lyle and arguably more powerful. I think Liston would have beaten Lyle more convincingly. I'll just say Foreman vs Liston would be a last man standing slugfest.
Prime Foreman destroys Prime Tyson..To Big and a Granite Chin...Tyson was suspect when he fought Bigger Fighters with Good Chins....5 of His 6 Losses were by TKO....He Nailed it.!!!!
A prime Foreman was 6'3 220 lbs. Tyson fought, beat and KO'd bigger men. Keep in mind that Foreman barely skated past the first big puncher he faced who could land direct hits. It isn't a foregone conclusion that he'd have beaten Tyson