60 Liston vs 88 Tyson and which is historically above

I think Liston is historically above to be honest and has a certain mystique.
But matched up the one thing that would have troubled Liston is Tyson's SPEED and people overlook this in my opinion.

 

I think Mike Tyson wins head to head and should rank a bit higher . But I know this isn’t gospel or written in stone

 

I'd have Tyson a couple of spots above Liston. Tyson's run gets fobbed off and minimised way too much. I would minorly favor Liston H2H but would not run around getting upset over it.

 

Tyson beat better opponents and tore a hole in the division. He continues to be underrated.

 

Battle of the "Quitters"...all you need to know...

 

I think Tyson ranks higher because of his longer reign. H2H I'm not sure but I give Liston the edge because I think Tyson would be intimidated by him.

 

Tyson on both imo
But only slightly on head to head clash.

 

Mike Tyson prevails in both categories. Also Eddie Machen gets uppercutted out of the ring vs 88 Mike Tyson.

 

Tyson is clearly above Liston in the all time rankings.

Tyson dominated the division for 4 years winning 10 world title fights and scoring 8 stoppages in those 10 world title fights.

Liston in comparison only won 2 world title fights although he did have a fine resume before becoming champion beating some good notable names.

But for me on achievements and resume Tyson clearly is above Liston IMO.

As for H2H that's a different matter and much more debatable.

Liston had an 84 inch reach and one of the best jabs of all time. And he could keep Tyson at bay with the jab similar to how Douglas did who had an 83 inch reach.

Liston also has more power than Douglas and he already destroyed another peek a boo style type fighter in Patterson. Although to be fair Patterson is significantly smaller and not as durable as Tyson.

I wouldn't like to say who would win H2H as I think both fighters have a legit argument.

But in regards to the all time Heavyweight rankings Tyson wins that debate.

 

Both are criminally underrated because their defeats are more famous, more sensational, and their lives more scandalous than what they did in the ring. Actually, either option is fine by me. So, it's a coin toss, but I'll cast my vote for Liston.

 

Excellent analysis! Agree that Tyson's resume puts him ahead of Sonny in the historical rankings.

H2H--I think Sonny's pole-axe left jab and overall boxing skill would neutralize Tyson and he'd eventually win by KO or stoppage in 9-10 rounds. (And you can throw ANY advantage Tyson's intimidation factor would bring out the window in this one. There was no greater intimidator in the ring than Sonny Liston!)

 

Tyson wins and is greater.

 

Mike is the greater fighter, in the lower realms of the top 10. Liston I have just out of it.

Liston's hideous presentation would freek the hell out of Mike. Mike never faced anyone so profoundly messed up, incapable of being intimidated. Mike would march right into that jab; even if he DID slip it (consider Liston's reach advantage here) he'd be led into the right. His early attempts at walking straight through Liston are met with some of the ugliest, cheating, bullying maneuvers (you know the cute ones like holding and hitting, elbow, laces, palm in-face "accidents"...)

The first round Mike does manage to score a couple of nice shots that set Liston off course a bit. But the Liston jab lands flush once too often for Mike to continue daredevil forward movement. He becomes more tentative in the second but Liston is all wound up from his corner and after Tyson literally runs into a poop-nasty right, Sonny proceeds to hook and uppercut him to the canvas twice before the ref mercifully stops it.

Mike is a head to head MONSTER and I love him. Prime Liston and Foreman would have been completely wrong for his 80s style. Just my opinion.