Who was the most feared hw out of these four.

[rightsideup]

George Foreman prior to his lose to Ali
Sonny Listion prior to his lose to Clay
Mike Tyson prior to his loss to Buster Douglas
Joe Louis prior to his gift victory over Jersey Joe Walcott.

[NChristo]

Of all of them Liston is the person who was avoided for the longest time by the Champ, I'll go with him for that reason. They're all equally intimidating boxers I'd say, Joe Louis in a different soulless destroyer of men kinda way, where as the others seemed to just want too tear their opponents head off.

[Scott9945]

Liston, Foreman, and Tyson are all very close. I'll choose Sonny because besides being considered unbeatable, he had a menacing persona and a well documented criminal past. Foreman and Tyson had more advanced social skills that took a bit of their edge off.

[The Big Dunn]

Liston, Tyson, Foreman, Louis.

sccott9945 is correct about Liston-his mob work made him much more scary. Tyson was crazy. Foreman was rough but he did Sanford and son and other TV shows where he showed a much less angry persona.

[rightsideup]

Liston, Foreman, and Tyson are all very close. I'll choose Sonny because besides being considered unbeatable, he had a menacing persona and a well documented criminal past. Foreman and Tyson had more advanced social skills that took a bit of their edge off.

I read somewhere that some of tyson's early amateur opposition thought he was liston's nephew

[The Surgeon]

Liston, Foreman, and Tyson are all very close. I'll choose Sonny because besides being considered unbeatable, he had a menacing persona and a well documented criminal past. Foreman and Tyson had more advanced social skills that took a bit of their edge off.

This is how I see it too, Liston's mob ties and entire image put real fear in guys not to mention the stare!

[New England]

well, a top flight opponent is never really scared to the point where it effects him. everybody feels butterflies going into a fight. i don't care who you are. that's not fear to me.


i'd say that mike tyson produced more visible fear than any other opponent. you knew the end was coming early. overmatched guys would either come to the ring scared, or get hit and start fighting that way.

[Ray Corso]

rightsideup; theres actually some truth to that and I'm to blame, sort of!

When I first met Mike at Cus's we got ready for a J.O. Regional on Govenors Island in N.Y. and I tease Mike by calling him Sunny because when he felt comfortable and safe he would loosen up and act like a 14 yr. old kid with a big smile!! At Govenors I think Cus and Teddy handled Mike and I was yelling some of his directions at him calling him Sunny hahaha!!! I think some interpurted it as Sonny, because I heard about that show for years!!
Funny and sad how everything attached to Mike grew into something from nothing!
My son fought on the same Region One team with Mike for years, neither one could be beat in the J.O.s Ray

[Ray Corso]

As for fear, I'm guessing the "publics fear" not fighters fear because with the top guys there is NO fear!

Dempsey
Baer
Louis
Marciano
Liston
Forman
...........theres a few others who could bring power like Bowe whose KO percentage was high but he wasn't a "fear factor" promo in the publics eyes!
Ray.

[taansend]

In terms of 'menacing' fear it has to be Liston.

Ray is right in that it's the publics perception of what fear is as opposed to what the fighters think.

A boxer might well be more scared of Mayweathers speed rather than Kirklands (I couldn't really think of many modern day examples) persona.