Sonny, Mike, and George will forever be linked because they were the 3 most intimidating heavyweights in history. People will always, always hypothesize how matchups between the three would have gone. I've come to the conclusion after all these years that each had the style to beat the other, but it might not be the way you guys see it. I think, all in their primes: 1. Tyson had the style to beat Foreman. 2. Liston had the style to beat Tyson. 3. Foreman had the style to beat Liston. How do you guys feel?
Foreman has the style to beat Tyson. Liston has the style to beat Foreman. Tyson doesn't really hold an advantage over either, stylistically. That said, I think Tyson beats both.
I could see Mike beating both, but I truly feel Sonny was more dangerous for him. People say Foreman knew how to handle Tyson's style, but Frazier and Tyson were stylistically different. Patterson was more like Tyson, considering they were taught by the same man. I think Liston's more compact and precise power punches at the end of the jab are more dangerous for Tyson than Foreman's looping shots that Tyson could slip and counter.
Liston is a real threat to Tyson and can blast him out much like he did to Patterson twice. Foreman can pounce on Liston and pummel him to stoppage but he'll be eating some hard leather in return. This is by no means a given for either of them and I can see Liston stopping Foreman as well. Tyson can beat Foreman due to his quicker hands and feet but he'll be in the danger zone throughout.
yeah i definitely don't see foreman beating tyson. and i agree with others who'd favor tyson over liston as well. so for me the most intriguing is liston vs. foreman. have to give this one more thought, and if i really want to do it justice i should rewatch some liston fights. my gut feeling is liston doesn't have the mobility needed to beat foreman though.
Foreman mentioned that he became overly reliant on his jab in his second career due to problems he had sparring with Sonny Liston during the late 60s. I'm on my phone now, but I'm sure Foreman mentioned other stuff about Liston as well (that he was terrified of him). I think these type of fights are very difficult to call stylistically because alot of times with 2 big punchers it depends who gets there first. Foreman and Tyson were never stopped or even close to being stopped without taking huge punishment, but were both pretty brutal finishers. Tyson was always susceptible in the clinch, Foreman tended to shove and stay in punching range... which seems suicidal against Tyson.
I kinda wanted to add Louis to this discussion. I don't think Louis matches up well with Tyson at all. I think Mike would have iced Joe. But Louis matches up better against Liston. Foreman is probably too strong for Louis. I think optimally Louis would go up against Frazier. I think Frazier gets stopped by the Brown Bomber.
My view on Tyson is that his style and blend of chin, power and speed makes him match-up well with virtually anybody. He always has an advantage somewhere and when you're in with Mike Tyson, that's not good. Take Liston and Foreman. Stylistically, he's in a really bad spot. Foreman has the strength, power and jab to bulldoze a smaller aggressive fighter' like Tyson. Is that what happens?Possibly, but I tend to think that he counters Foreman and has the skill, power and speed to take him out. Same for Liston. Same for Louis, Frazier, Lewis, Holyfield, The Klitschko's, etc. Guys like Holmes and Ali are usually said to have had the style to beat him; but do they? I don't think so; Holmes was vulnerable to overhands, one of Tyson's best shots; Ali? Left hooks, another one of Tyson's best shots. I find it hard to believe Tyson wouldn't manage to land one of those two; and I find it hard to believe either wouldn't go down. Holmes usually fought back when he was hurt; that'd cost him. Ali, on the other hand, tended to clinch and avoid any follow up. That's perfect against Tyson. But Tyson wouldn't just be hopelessly behind on points, in fact, I've said before that over ten, he could beat Ali over the distance.
Tyson v Foreman. The whole Tyson game was based on slipping punches and doing damage on the way in; he only fought inside against guys that were covering up. Otherwise he was willing to tie up. Foreman was a strong guy and extended his arms a lot- that archaic defense that would never work. When Foreman jabbed at Tyson, and Tyson slipped the punch, George would put a hand on his shoulder and stop the move. Tyson would have a problem with that. If he got low enough to avoid it, he would run into a forest of arms when he tried to raise up and land a punch. If George can make Tyson stand up straight at distance the fight is almost over. Tyson v Liston. Tyson will make him miss the jab and get close. Liston beat Williams to the punch when they traded hooks but Tyson is a much quicker and a much harder puncher than Williams. Mike would hurt him there. Liston may be able to use his jab- he isn't going to land it because Mike's whole game was based on slipping the jab- to make move into an uppercut, hook or right hand, but he is much slower of hand and foot. And Mike isn't a much smaller, intimidated Patterson, or any of the other 185 pound guys that Liston beat. Foreman v Liston. There is a big deal about Foreman being intimidated by Liston. At the time Foreman had fought about 65 rounds in his life and Liston was the former champion so that is natural. Honestly, I have such a low opinion of both of these guys that the fight doesn't interest me much. 1966 Ali v Tyson. I don't think that Ali has much of a chance. No way in life is he going to move the whole fight. Tyson's whole game was sliupping the jab and doing his work on the way in. If you try to avoid him by moving, he is adept at shifting his feet to extend his reach and hit you when you don't expect it. Ali was very fast but so was Tyson and I think that the speed of foot and hand was close enough bthat Ali would get hit more than he liked; Tyson would slide over and hit him with left hands that Ali wouldn't see. Here's the thing about this fight. There are 2 ways to discourage Tyson, at his best, from coming at you like an avalanche. You can use you jab to make him move into a place where you can hit him with another punch or you can tie him up inside and, hopefully, get him frustrated enough to stand up straight outside while he thinks about what to do. 66 Ali didn't have a left hook or uppercut to use on Mike. When he threw a right uppercut he dropped his hand and Tyson would have nailed him with a hook that would make the Henry Cooper hook seem like the kiss of a beautiful woman. Ali would have to fight him with a jab and straight right- and Tyson's whole game is based on slipping and countering those punches- and movement. 66 Ali wasn't going to tie Tyson up and frustrate and potshot him like he did Foreman. I don't believe that Ali knew that then.
