I cannot make up my mind. My head says Liston but I am on record here that Mike Tyson at his absolute warrior peak was capable of beating any heavyweight who’s ever lived on a given night.
You are a welcome addition to the forum as far as I’m concerned. We may not agree on everything but that’s no big deal … you’re willing to discuss and put reasoning behind your viewpoint and that’s what it’s all about.
Tyson stops him. This isn't Cleveland Williams or Eddie Machen or Roy Harris or Zora Folley. Tyson has the perfect combination of speed, power, defense and chin. As far as opponents go, the Tyson of 86-89 destroys all of Liston's best opponents. While I'd back Liston to beat Tysons best opponents, he would struggle against some of them. Like, he would stop Bruno, but Bruno would give him a harder fight than Williams, that's for sure.
Truthfully, Frank Bruno was too stiff, Terrible Tim Witherspoon destroyed him with his overhand right hands on July 19 1986 in London, England.
I know and I expect Liston to do the same vs Bruno. But like Lewis and Witherspoon, he would have to earn his money.
50-50 but better chances for Mike. Liston has the range, jab, power but Tyson is more explosive and faster. They both have strong jaws, Tyson probably has a stronger jaw than we all think. Mental would decide. Tyson would be afraid of Liston, but if fear didn't paralyze him, so much the worse for Sonny.
I need to correct a few things. Tyson routinely crushed taller opponents. With his uppercuts he folded them and with hooks to the head he spindled them. Liston's jab was the longest and most powerful but not the fastest. It was fast enough, though. Prime Liston weighed 210 to 215. He weighed 218 and more when he aged. However you did correctly identify Liston's piledriver jab as being problem #1 for Mr. Tyson. Problem #2 was Sonny's immense strength followed by his thumping left hook complemented by his underrated powerful right hand. And then there was the psychological weapon of Sonny's menacing aura. Tyson would go into this battle with immense respect and no small amount of fear. Advantage Mr. Liston. They called him The Champ Nobody Wanted, and Mike wouldn't want him, either. And finally, Tyson was faced with having to fight Sonny by standing in front of him, which happened to be the biggest no-no strategy in boxing at the time. Mike would be condemned to battling Liston on the inside, and that was no picnic in Central Park if the experience of Floyd Patterson and Cleveland Williams was any indicator. I don't see Mike lasting four rounds and I think even he might agree.
Peak Liston (late 1950's) vs. peak Tyson (mid-late 80's)---going with Sonny in this one by stoppage or KO in 6 rounds. Sonny had even more punching power than Tyson and would have a MAJOR reach advantage! That sledgehammer left jab would take a toll quickly and would set up all the guns in his arsenal to unleash on Mike. Additionally, it would be one of the only scenarios where Tyson wouldn't have the intimidation factor going for him as an intangible--it would be the other way around!!
Liston. Besides Tillis all the guys to go the distance with Tyson were larger fighters with 80+inch reachs. As were Buster and Ruddock and of course Lennox Lewis. Tyson could destroy larger fighters like he did with Bruno, Tubbs, Carl Williams and Savarese. But I think that has more to do with the opponent. Opponents with a long reach absolutley have a better survival record against Tyson than those without it. And those guys don't have Listons jab and their arms weren't as big relative to their bodys. In Tysons era there really weren't many high level HWs that could hit harder then him and the few there were he didn't fight. Tyson would do better than fellow peek a booer Patterson. But Patterson only lasted 2 minutes.
If Liston box like Douglas he would wear Mike down same way Holy and Douglas did, but if he goes toe to toe with Tyson he would get uppercuted to death.
What high level heavyweights hit harder than Tyson in your opinion that he didn't fight? I can think of maybe Bowe? But Bowe himself didn't seem to keen to get in the ring with punchers. Very few fights with them, despite an abundance to choose from. The only other guys I'd put above Tyson in power are Ruddock, and perhaps Bruno and he mopped the floor with them.
