Heavyweights: Mike Tyson vs Sonny Liston

[elmersalsa]

What if both fight in their primes? Who wins. Let's say, the great Mike Tyson circa 1986-89 vs the great Sonny Liston circa 1959-62...Both cleanup their divisions in their primes.

There is one winner and gotta be by KO...That is the only way I see it.

[SaadOffTheDeck]

Liston by late stoppage or decision. That long jab would ruin Mike's night.

[gilgamesh]

Mike would be all over Sonny in the first 4 rounds attacking the hell out of him and quite possibly rocking him on more than one occasion, once it goes a little deeper than that though. Liston's telephone pole jab starts slowly busting up Mike and he stops him late in a great fight.

[Seamus]

Tyson inside 4.

[RadioElRadar]

I picked Liston but I'd lean towards a decision. Not sure about there being a sure-fire KO.

Liston hits him with that ramrod jab all night. For all his faults Tyson did have a great chin so any stoppage by Liston would most likely be accumulative, I can't see him laying Tyson out early.

[Crease]

That long jab would ruin Mike's night.

But Tyson fought of out the peek-a-boo hands up style, most of Sonny's jabs would be hitting Mike's hands.

So for me this fight comes down to a question of power and brutality... And in both categories, I give the edge to Iron Mike.
My prediction is:
Mike Tyson wins by knock out in 6 rounds.

[BoxBuzz]

Hmm Battle of the bullies....they would both be a little nervous, I'd be inclined to go with Tyson if he had Cus in his corner....if not.....Liston wins.... This fight would likely be won or lost in the psyche.

[wouter]

Hmm Battle of the bullies....they would both be a little nervous, I'd be inclined to go with Tyson if he had Cus in his corner....if not.....Liston wins....

That sure helped Patterson.

[dempseyfire]

Tyson's style is tailor-made for Liston.

[The 1bangkid]

That long jab would ruin Mike's night.

But Tyson fought of out the peek-a-boo hands up style, most of Sonny's jabs would be hitting Mike's hands.

So for me this fight comes down to a question of power and brutality... And in both categories, I give the edge to Iron Mike.
My prediction is:
Mike Tyson wins by knock out in 6 rounds.

[dr_devious]

Liston would intimidate Tyson more than anybody, he was the real deal. I think Sonny takes Tyson out in the first 6 rounds

[MEISINGER]

Hmm Battle of the bullies....they would both be a little nervous, I'd be inclined to go with Tyson if he had Cus in his corner....if not.....Liston wins....

That sure helped Patterson.

[BoxBuzz]

Hmm Battle of the bullies....they would both be a little nervous, I'd be inclined to go with Tyson if he had Cus in his corner....if not.....Liston wins....

That sure helped Patterson.

Ouch! I earned that, lol but I'll go out further on this limb and say that Tyson operated on two different planes with vs without Cus. He believed in himself with Cus.....and that seemed to dissipate with Cus's departure.

The Chemistry with Patterson was different, Patterson believed in himself and didn't need anyone in that way, I don't think Patterson was dependent on others in the way that Tyson was. So Patterson was about the same fighter either way....Tyson....not so much.

[Ambling Alp II]

D'Amato's influence may be exaggerrated. He only was Tyson's trainer for less than a year of his pro career. Tyson's big wins were all with other trainers.
Almost anything could happen in this fight. Very hard to pick.

[SaadOffTheDeck]

That long jab would ruin Mike's night.

But Tyson fought of out the peek-a-boo hands up style, most of Sonny's jabs would be hitting Mike's hands.

So for me this fight comes down to a question of power and brutality... And in both categories, I give the edge to Iron Mike.
My prediction is:
Mike Tyson wins by knock out in 6 rounds.

Yeah, just like Buster's did. I wouldn't give Mike an edge in power or brutality either.

[BoxBuzz]

D'Amato's influence may be exaggerrated. He only was Tyson's trainer for less than a year of his pro career. Tyson's big wins were all with other trainers.
Almost anything could happen in this fight. Very hard to pick.

The "without" I refer to is not so much as a trainer...as important as that may have been....but he was sort of his "dad". Even though they were a bit estranged. I think it was Cus's mortal departure that taught or at least forced Mike to have thoughts about his own mortality....