Rank the most intimidating boxers of all-time

CarneraKOsSharkey · Post by **CarneraKOsSharkey** » 15 Mar 2006, 07:27

I have been doing a lot of reading online about Sonny Liston lately and one of the main points that I kept coming across was how intimdating Liston was to opponents (before the two Ali fights, obviously). So the question I am wondering is this: Was Liston the most intimidating fighter of all-time?

Just from a personal standpoint, I would go with the following as boxing's all-time most intimidating:

1. Sonny Liston
2. Mike Tyson
3. George Foreman
4. Jack Dempsey

Who am I missing? Who from the lighter weights scared opponents before the bout even began?

Ezzard · Post by **Ezzard** » 15 Mar 2006, 07:34

I'd say Ali, but in a different kind of way to the ones you mention.

I'd also add

Hearns
Hagler
McClellan
Duran

BoxBuzz · Post by **BoxBuzz** » 15 Mar 2006, 07:59

I would say that Ali did not seem intimidating however there are very credible accounts that he indeed intimidated the top guy on your list.

Barnick05 · Post by **Barnick05** » 15 Mar 2006, 09:12

1) Duran
2) Tyson
3) Liston

JC · Post by JC » 15 Mar 2006, 09:14

My ten, and I'm sure there are many I've missed

1)Liston
2)Tyson
3)Duran
4)Hagler
5)Foreman
6)Hearns
7)Bad bennie Briscoe
8 )Ike Williams
9) Dempsey
10)Nigel Benn

dr_devious · Post by **dr_devious** » 15 Mar 2006, 09:20

1. Sonny Liston
2. Roberto Duran
3. George Foreman
4. Mike Tyson
5. Jack Dempsey
6. Marvin Hagler
7. Tommy Hearns
8. Gerald McClellan
9. Iran Barkley
10. Nigel Benn

walshb · Post by **walshb** » 15 Mar 2006, 12:47

All this adulation for the big bully in Liston. As Clay said to Dundee, 'the guy's a bully and bulies can't take it'...la knew that Liston was this type of character and exploited it.

Now Foreman was intimidating no doubt

surf-bat · Post by **surf-bat** » 15 Mar 2006, 15:20

CarneraKOsSharkey wrote:I have been doing a lot of reading online about Sonny Liston lately and one of the main points that I kept coming across was how intimdating Liston was to opponents (before the two Ali fights, obviously). So the question I am wondering is this: Was Liston the most intimidating fighter of all-time?

Just from a personal standpoint, I would go with the following as boxing's all-time most intimidating:

1. Sonny Liston
2. Mike Tyson
3. George Foreman
4. Jack Dempsey

Who am I missing? Who from the lighter weights scared opponents before the bout even began?

Sonny Liston, Sam Lanford and Bob Foster are my top 3. I have an LA Times article on Langford called "The caveman they all fear". One of Fosters opponents(I think it was Tessman) said "We all wanted a title shot, but none of us really wanted to fight Foster. He was vicious. He didn't like Vicente Rondon and he almost killed him."

Expug · Post by **Expug** » 15 Mar 2006, 18:16

Fosters an excellent pick because the guy was like an assasin, set ya up and take ya out. I read once that Willie Pastrano was a little nervous about Harold Johnson because he was what Willie described as a Fighters Fighter. A lot of pros are a little bit more nervous about fighting guys who could do it all , guys like Johnson, Hagler. Robinson, Burley, Louis. Guys who could box real good and punch . Beat the hell outta ya and make ya look foolish. Just a thought. Im sure Liston, Foreman, and Tyson had some fights won before the opening bell also.

bigzab · Post by **bigzab** » 15 Mar 2006, 18:55

1.TYSON v Spinks
2.LISTON v Patterson
3.FOREMAN v Norton
4.DE LEON v Nelson

5.HOLYFIELD v Tyson II
6.HOLYFIELD V Moorer II
7.TYSON v Bruno II
8.LENNOX LEWIS v Golota
9.JUAN MANUEL MARQUEZ v Gainer

10.BILLY FOX v Jake Lamotta

JAHamilton77 · Post by **JAHamilton77** » 15 Mar 2006, 20:14

Liston
Tyson
Benn
Hagler

generic screen name · Post by **generic screen name** » 15 Mar 2006, 23:53

1. Prime George Foreman '73-'78 - he destroyed THE linear champ at the time, and Norton, who's no wuss, wouldn't even look at him in the eyes.
2. Mike Tyson '85-'90 - Mike was the last person you would wanted see in a back alley, definately typified the "thug" persona
3. Sonny Liston early '60s - destroyed Patterson and everyone on his way up
4. Marvin Hagler - looked mean, and intimidated while in the ring, Mugabi knew he just couldn't win in the 11th, and Mugabi wasn't a quitter or wuss, took SEVERAL right hands from Hearns and seemed to not even flinch
5. Jack Dempsey - the first person with the "glare", huger opponents were even scared of him
6. Thomas Hearns's right hand - made linear opponents look like tomato cans, ask Roberto Duran
7. Muhammad Ali's mouth - got into people's nerves just a tad, and people who can talk the talk and walk the walk are definately intimidating
8. Roberto Duran - especially on Leonard-Duran I, where he gave Leonard no breathing room and purposely showed no sportsmanship IMO
9. Joe Frazier - Philadelphia fighter, Foreman even admitted he was intimidated by Frazier
10. Rocky Marciano

Expug · Post by **Expug** » 16 Mar 2006, 00:21

Fighting James Scott at Rahway State Penitentiary probably wasnt a day at the beach either.

Seamus · Post by **Seamus** » 16 Mar 2006, 00:43

For all time I'd have to say Mike Tyson. Don't think anyone intimidated opponents more effectively than Iron Mike, and the funniest thing of all was what an acquaintence once told me. He said if you didn't know who Tyson was and he called you up and threatened to kick your ass, your immediate comeback would be "kick my ass with what your ballet slippers ?

dr_devious · Post by **dr_devious** » 16 Mar 2006, 05:17

walshb wrote:All this adulation for the big bully in Liston. As Clay said to Dundee, 'the guy's a bully and bulies can't take it'...la knew that Liston was this type of character and exploited it.

Now Foreman was intimidating no doubt

How can you say Liston was just a bully, and cant take it? Marty Marshall broke his jaw in one of his early fights and Sonny went on to complete the fight but lose on points, his first defeat. This isnt the actions of someone who cant take it.
As for intimidating fighters, I agree that Bob Foster should be in the top 10, and Sam Langford and Stan Ketchel would have been very intimidating too

vagabundo55 · Post by **vagabundo55** » 16 Mar 2006, 05:35

Aaron Pryor was pretty intimidating.

bigzab · Post by **bigzab** » 16 Mar 2006, 06:03

generic screen name wrote: 9. Joe Frazier - Philadelphia fighter, Foreman even admitted he was intimidated by Frazier

I remember Foreman saying this on Champions Forever. But I don't buy.
I think he was just trying to reinvent his image as Foreman II.
He sure did not look intimidated during referees last instructions when they fought in Kingston.

Crease · Post by **Crease** » 16 Mar 2006, 12:15

The Most initmdating fighters ever?
Well,

Jack Dempsey and Rocky Marciano were VERY, VERY intimdating inside the ring but outside, they were 2 gentlemen.

Sonny Liston was extremly intimdiating (pre-Ali), no-one wanted to fight him, he was a monster.

Joe Frazier was also antimidiating man, he used-ta put the fear into opponents before they even got in the ring with him.

Big George Foreman's size and punching power was also very scary indeed.

Mike Tyson would be the last of the intimdiaitng mosters in the heavyweight divison just nio-one rings thast bell anymore.

Looking down the divisions...

Jake Lamotta was a scary man.

Nigel Benn would also talk you out of a fight with him, just by meeting him

AND

Bernard Hopkins name is intimtidating to most boxers nowadays.

Ezzard · Post by **Ezzard** » 16 Mar 2006, 12:27

Eusebio Pedroza was also an intimidating man.

Seamus · Post by **Seamus** » 16 Mar 2006, 12:37

As intimidating as some fighters are, you always have guys who have fun with them. In my opinion Tyson was the most intimidating fighter of all time, but a prime Muhammad Ali would have had fun with him and probably pushed him over the brink.

Ezzard · Post by **Ezzard** » 16 Mar 2006, 12:42

I do think that the the biggest 3 intimidators are Liston, Foreman and Tyson. They won championship fights before the bell had sounded, that's some weapon to have in your arsenal. BUT I do think that all 3 eventually suffered for it. Foreman managed to reinvent himself (although it took a long time) but the other two never fully recovered once they lost that aura.

JC · Post by JC » 16 Mar 2006, 12:53

Ezzard wrote:I do think that the the biggest 3 intimidators are Liston, Foreman and Tyson. They won championship fights before the bell had sounded, that's some weapon to have in your arsenal. BUT I do think that all 3 eventually suffered for it. Foreman managed to reinvent himself (although it took a long time) but the other two never fully recovered once they lost that aura.

That's a good point I totally agree, that will always be the pitfall of using fear as a weapon, you will always eventually meet someone who is fearless.

KOJOE90 · Post by **KOJOE90** » 16 Mar 2006, 14:28

Others that at least deserve a mention are

Roy 'Tiger' Williams.
Iran 'The Blade' Barkley.
Rubin Carter.

surf-bat · Post by **surf-bat** » 16 Mar 2006, 18:51

J-C wrote:
Ezzard wrote:I do think that the the biggest 3 intimidators are Liston, Foreman and Tyson. They won championship fights before the bell had sounded, that's some weapon to have in your arsenal. BUT I do think that all 3 eventually suffered for it. Foreman managed to reinvent himself (although it took a long time) but the other two never fully recovered once they lost that aura.
That's a good point I totally agree, that will always be the pitfall of using fear as a weapon, you will always eventually meet someone who is fearless.

The reason I don't rank George as high as most is because his intimidating years were shorter than Sonny's or Mike's. Before the Frazier fight he was actually kind of looked down on for his inferior opposition. Many figured that he'd fold as soon as he fought someone real. His aura started in '73 with the Frazier destruction and was effectively over the next year when Ali humiliated him.

Liston and Tyson on the other hand were dreaded for years. Sonny even had trouble getting fights and was forced to "go easy" on a few opponents.

surf-bat · Post by **surf-bat** » 16 Mar 2006, 18:54

dr_devious wrote:
walshb wrote:All this adulation for the big bully in Liston. As Clay said to Dundee, 'the guy's a bully and bulies can't take it'...la knew that Liston was this type of character and exploited it.

Now Foreman was intimidating no doubt
How can you say Liston was just a bully, and cant take it? Marty Marshall broke his jaw in one of his early fights and Sonny went on to complete the fight but lose on points, his first defeat. This isnt the actions of someone who cant take it.
As for intimidating fighters, I agree that Bob Foster should be in the top 10, and Sam Langford and Stan Ketchel would have been very intimidating too

I agree. Actually, it was Foreman who couldn't take it. Not Liston.

Rank the most intimidating boxers of all-time

Rank the most intimidating boxers of all-time

Re: Rank the most intimidating boxers of all-time