Is Liston The Most Intimidating Heavyweight Of All Time?

I think Liston, Foreman, and Tyson were probably the 3 most intimidating HWs ever.

Others?

Well, some were only intimidating for a short period of time unlike the 3 listed above... Liston, Foreman, and Tyson were feared (by most) for most of their careers.

Some guys who were feared for a little while:

David Tua- he was on a roll stopping guys like J. Ruiz (19 seconds), D. Wilson KO1, D. Izon KO12, O. Maskaev KO11, L12 Ibeabuchi (close toe to toe fight), H. Rahman KO10, O. Sullivan KO1, and R. Daniels KO3

Ike Ibeabuchi- he went toe to toe with Tua and stopped C. Byrd in 5 but never fought again after the Byrd fight.

Ernie Shavers power was always feared but he wasn't the most talented guy overall so he was never seen as a total package. He did stop several good fighters early though... like J. Young KO3, J. Ellis KO1, K. Norton KO1, and J. Bugner KO2.

Once upon a time there was some fear surrounding the following fighters...

Bowe, Lewis, Ruddock, Mercer, and Morrison. A little later came Moorer and even Hide. Some people proved to be just hype though.

You have to look at who they were fighting though... I'd say H2H vs. other good HWs... Foreman and Tyson would be feared slightly more than Liston.

 

Intimidating? yes. The most intimidating? to his opponents perhaps except Ali.
Besides that, I think his image is somewhat fueled by him being an enigma. Correct me if I'm wrong but there's not so much information on him.

 

Actually, Ali admitted that the only HW who ever intimidated him was Sonny Liston. He listed Sonny as the "Scariest" of his opponents. One writer, in trying to recapture the Liston aura for the new generation a few years back, described him as "Darth Vader in boxing trunks". The 50s and 60s generations were completely freaked out by him.

I can't think of a more intimidating heavyweight. I think he was easily the most overall intimidating fighter of all time (inside and outside of the ring).He was quiet, hostile and you never quite knew what he was thinking. His violent background only added to his mystique. No heavyweight had it like Sonny, before or since.

This content is protected

 

I'd say Butterbean was the most intimidating heavyweight of all time. The sight of his flapping breasts brought strong men to their knees.

 

Liston certainly has a good case, but there are many different ways that a fighter can be intimidating.

Liston is merely the best of the "Liston school".

 

True. Ali was in intimidating in that wat. Pernell Whitacker, Roy Jones Jr., Floyd Mayweather... nobody wants to look foolish in the ring... some would rather get kncoked out trying their best.

 

Two fighters not often mentioned in this context are Sam Langford and Barbados Joe Walcott.

They both seem to have had considerable sucess at intimidating opponents who were much larger than themselves.

 

The Ali fights have really hurt Liston in these stakes in the opinion of many.

If, however, we go back to pre Ali then we have one of and perhaps the most intimidating heavies of all time. Hindsight has hurt him with many and made them forget or disregard what an awesome spectacle he was at his best.

I think Foreman's right up there too. I've read first hand accounts of people at ringside for the Ali fight, remember he was coming in with many convinced he was invincible after his destructions of Norton and joe. The atmosphere decribed and expectations of these peeps at ringside were frightening.