Fear has a name… and it’s not Tyson

Mike Tyson didn’t just strike fear into opponents with his savage power and chaotic intensity—he built a myth that seemed unmatched. Yet in a recent interview, the former heavyweight world champion admitted that one boxer scares him more than anyone else: Sonny Liston.

“Sonny Liston is the scariest fighter that ever lived,” Tyson said. “He’d show up in a city and even the police wanted him gone. He knocked out four officers, broke their jaws, took their guns... a monster!”
A shocking confession coming from a man who started his career with 19 consecutive knockouts and once bit off a piece of Evander Holyfield’s ear in one of the wildest fights in history.

The dark legend of Sonny Liston

Sonny Liston’s life reads like a movie script: convicted of robbery and assault, he discovered boxing in prison and turned pro after his release. He became world champion after defeating Floyd Patterson in 1962, then lost twice to Muhammad Ali in two iconic bouts. He finished with 50 fights, 46 wins, and 39 knockouts.

But his legacy extends far beyond the ring. Liston’s life was riddled with scandals, arrests, and alleged mafia ties. Even his death at 40 remains cloaked in mystery. “There’s no one like Sonny Liston,” Tyson declared. And with that, the myth only grows.

More feared than 'Iron Mike'?

It’s hard to imagine anyone more intimidating than Tyson at his peak. But when even Iron Mike bows to the shadow of Sonny Liston, it’s clear that in boxing, fear takes many forms… and sometimes, the most chilling ones come from the past.