Which fighter do you find most intimidating?

All you had to do was stand up against Liston & Tyson...and they'd be intimidated by you!!!

 

When I was a little kid it was Hagler !! That bald head which was rare back then and my God he was as mean as hell !! . Even my granny knew who he was !! And they knew he was as mean as hell !!

 

Yep, it was Max Baer, Louis "wanting to make it a short fight" underscored by the fact that shortly after the fight, Joe would be able to immediately indulge in his honeymoon.

 

Was Leonard actually the first person to observe/say that Duran reminded him of Charles Manson, particularly in respect of his eyes? It wouldn't surprise me if that observation was made even before Ray said it - because it was so on the money.

 

I do not comprehend how you do not see Foreman & Tyson as intimidaters (sic).
Both had no nonsense menacing expressions.
Both were heavily muscled-Tyson lean at 214-221 or so at average height, dense & bulky from legs through neck.
Big George 6'3" & just slightly heavier (because Saddler had him come in dehydrated, naturally 230 or so).

What is an intimidating physique to you then?

 

Ron Lyle

 

Seriously - just about any of them, each for different reasons. Some, like Liston, just looked cold mean. Duran looked murderous. Hagler was rage. Leonard looked like he was gonna enjoy kicking someone’s ass. All of them had that aura that made many lesser fighters lose before the first punch was thrown.

OTOH, you had guys like Holmes who just looked serious, like they were there to simply get the job done. Arguello almost looked pleasant, like let’s get a beer after I knock the stuffing out of you.

Not enough coin on Earth for me to ever set foot in a ring with any of them, unless it’s for a photo or autograph

 

A slight twist in the tale - the greatest diffusion of a death stare that might've had other's going weak at the knees was Ali's treatment of Foreman during the prefight instructions in Zaire.

In the face of Foreman's "I'm gonna kill you look", there was Ali, verbally dressing George down, looking him up and down like he was a POS. I think Foreman's top lip shifted into a snarl, baring his gum shield - he was steaming. I think it was clear as to who was most effected by that face off. Foreman's head looked like it was about to explode. Lol. Given the prospect of facing such a killer, WHO could've done that BUT Ali? It was a masterpiece from the moment Ali hit the ring (including his way cool, super-fast shadow boxing while Foreman made him wait for 5 minutes) all the way through to the KO in round 8.

 

Never heard of Leonard ever saying it.

Frazier actually said it when Duran made his way to the ring to fight Leonard.

 

Standing between Louis and sex with his new bride. I'd be scared too.

 

All those guys wipe the floor with Marciano. All you had to do was land on Rocky's face to open up that skin before he bleeds to death.

 

This is some pseudo fight science nonsense. "The eyes don't lie"

Holyfield looks like Holyfield always did. He looks kind of like a really jacked Steve Harvey.

 

I didn't say I think staredowns mean much. I just think Holyfield looks like a total badass there.

 

I agree, Mike Tyson knows it's a boxing match, Evander Holyfield knows the same thing. Both might be feeling nervous about performing well and not embarrassing themselves, but they are not afraid of each other and they're for sure not afraid of someone's stare. Most fighters would like nothing more than for their opponent to legitimately be angry and to come out tense and wild swinging. It's not likely that a tense, wild swinging fighter is going to be effective and being tense is going to make him get tired quicker.

Holyfield grew up in inner city Atlanta, Tyson grew up in Brownsville, Brooklyn, I would guess that both of them had experienced and overcome scared people trying to "mean mug" them by the time they were 10 years old. Can't see either of them being affected by a stare.

 

Riddick Bowe always scared me. Just seemed like a big, mean, street guy. Him sucker punching Larry Donald probably added to that.