Greatest Aura of Invincibility

[ironchamp]

At one point, all of these fighters reached a level in which they came off as unbeatable.

Ali after Williams,
Foreman after Norton,
Frazier after Ali,
Tyson after Spinks,
Liston after Patterson, etc.

Some of these guys looked they they'd rule until they got old. No need for monday morning quarterbacks here but from foresight (as best as you can) which of these fighters simply looked unbeatable.

Which of these fighters had the greatest aura of invincibility?

Disscuss.

[Russell]

Foreman has to be in the absolute elite... People were literally fearing he was going to kill Ali. Kind of hard NOT to think that after he absolutely destroyed Frazier twice and Norton to boot.

[justaboxingfan]

Of the list I chose Mike Tyson. Though I would have also put in RJJ. In his prime he was unstoppable and his crowd-pleasing style made it that much sweeter.

[Duodenum]

Foreman. He was big, strong, undefeated, destroyed Frazier and Norton in two rounds each, and had knocked out Peralta in the tenth round of their rematch. While Ali might have been predicted to dance his way to a decision win, the idea of a clean mid rounds knockout would have been utterly absurd to most.

[ripcity]

I voted for Tyson. When he lost to Douglas he was conserdered invincibial and for a lot of people the Aura of invincibility did not start co go away intell Holyfield beat him. Lewis of course put a complete end to his aura.
All the other boxers in the poll had auras of invincibility as well but how many of them were still looked at as invincible long after their primes?

[duran77]

Tyson by far. In an era where boxing was on the decline tyson brought it back in a weak era, not to mention he was young enough to be seen as the future dominant champ. No one has gotten as much attention as Tyson in the Media, not even Foreman. Just look at covers of Boxing magazines. Even after he was defeated people thought he was going to again be unbeatable. Maybe people just wanted him to be more than what he was then again maybe even the casual fan could see he was something special. Either way he was voted #1 most wasted talent of any athlete in history by ESPN, that in itself speaks volumes.

[Minotauro]

Tyson mainly due to the era most of the top heavyweights were old are not that great Holyfield was still unproven at heavy and Bowe and Lewis had yet to arrive.

[Robbi]

Tyson

[Dempsey1238]

Marciano was view as unbeatable. Sure they may say Dempsey or Louis would have beating Rocky in thsos past match ups. But by the time Marciano rule the divsion with a iron fist, No one saw any one from the top ten contenders down, that could take Marciano's crown. People felt Wills had a good shot vs Dempsey. Or Schemling had a good shot in the rematch for the crown ete. But with Marciano, No one say Charles, or Moore beating the Rock. Even later champ Patterson was not view as a threat when he beat Moore for the crown. I read the Ring Mag of Marciano retirements, and the writer said that Marciano would have beating Patterson and Hurrican Jackson on the same night.

[McGrain]

What a great question. Although I feel that it's the one all the historical no marks will vote for - have to agree with them. That's the score. He surpassed all those who went before, probably. But those who vote for him - pay careful attention to those on the list. They all deserve to be there. They are all there or there abouts. And for me, it is hard to vote for Tyson over Louis who created horrible fear.

[McGrain]

Lennox Lewis should be on the list. I bet in terms of inspiring terror in contendors he is #1.


Chris?

[redrooster]

Definitely Hagler after beating Scypion in four. Combine that with the other recent performances--Obel, Lee, Hamsho, and Sibson, and you have the perfect performances from the perfect fighter. That's as good as it ever gets.

Very close runner up: Thomas Hearns after flattening Duran. I was a believer.

You can throw in the Shuler fight-so awe inspiring that I forgot about the defeat to Hagler. And that body was awesome too with all those muscles. He looked perfect to me.

[Lefty Supremacy]

I'm gonna toss Carlos Monzon out there.

[Lacyace]

I'm going to go with RJJ. I've seen the Tarver KO like 20 times and I still can't believe it.

[ironchamp]

Definitely Hagler after beating Scypion in four. Combine that with the other recent performances--Obel, Lee, Hamsho, and Sibson, and you have the perfect performances from the perfect fighter. That's as good as it ever gets.

Very close runner up: Thomas Hearns after flattening Duran. I was a believer.

You can throw in the Shuler fight-so awe inspiring that I forgot about the defeat to Hagler. And that body was awesome too with all those muscles. He looked perfect to me.

I'll do a poll for the lower weights.

[The Kurgan]

Tyson. He was considered so unstoppable by most that when people even slightly shook him up (Tucker and Bruno) it was practically sports headline news in itself. People were seriously suggesting in early 1990 that he'd KO Holyfield in a round.

Louis and Ali spent their careers hearing people talking about how "So and so" would knock them out, and why they only won "because challenger x didn't do y". Yet they dominated the division for years on end, while Tyson got beaten by a nobody in only his third title defense. George Foreman was supposed to be invincible in 1974, but three years later had been beaten twice and was out of the sport.

Auras are made to be done away with; it's boxers who have their heads screwed on well that dominate.

[C. M. Clay II]

Sonny Liston clearly. Liston was the most feared athlete in sports history. He knocked out a dominant heavyweight champion in one round twice when he himself was past his prime. No other fighter can claim that.:good

[salsanchezfan]

Sonny Liston clearly. Liston was the most feared athlete in sports history. He knocked out a dominant heavyweight champion in one round twice when he himself was past his prime. No other fighter can claim that.:good



................First time I've read Patterson described as a "dominant champion."

[redrooster]

I'll do a poll for the lower weights.

My mistake. I didn't read the choices.

I'll go with Foreman.

[C. M. Clay II]

................First time I've read Patterson described as a "dominant champion."

Well, he didn't clean out the division or anything, but he was fairly dominant for his time. Six title defenses and champion for five years is pretty solid to me.

[salsanchezfan]

Well, he didn't clean out the division or anything, but he was fairly dominant for his time. Six title defenses and champion for five years is pretty solid to me.


...........I have to respectfully disagree. Patterson was a real good fighter and an even better man, but being knocked down by the likes of Pete Rademacher and defending against people like Roy Harris are hardly high-water marks in heavyweight history. He was actually very, very protected as champion.

[ozziebattler]

Tyson by far. In an era where boxing was on the decline tyson brought it back in a weak era, not to mention he was young enough to be seen as the future dominant champ. No one has gotten as much attention as Tyson in the Media, not even Foreman. Just look at covers of Boxing magazines. Even after he was defeated people thought he was going to again be unbeatable. Maybe people just wanted him to be more than what he was then again maybe even the casual fan could see he was something special. Either way he was voted #1 most wasted talent of any athlete in history by ESPN, that in itself speaks volumes.

Agree with post 100%..

He was destined for true greatness.Maybe even retire undefeated undisputed heavyweight champ.

But due to his mental shortfalls and stupid behaviours we will never know.

Still shatters me to be honest..

[JohnThomas1]

I cannot choose between Tyson, Liston and Foreman.

[janitor]

One name worth mentioning is Terry McGovern

He was the first champion who regularly demolished world class oponents in the early rounds and nobody had quite seen anything like it before. He was perhaps the prototype for the aura of invincibility.

[laxpdx]

Then there was Tony Ayala. He was punching holes in everybody he came across, and had not lost a fight since age 8. Too bad he had to test this aura on a defenseless woman.

[JohnThomas1]

Then there was Tony Ayala. He was punching holes in everybody he came across, and had not lost a fight since age 8. Too bad he had to test this aura on a defenseless woman.

Don't forget his sensational drubbing of Cuevas when he was 14, makes Tyson, Foreman, Liston, Manson and co pale in comparison.

[janitor]

Auras are made to be done away with; it's boxers who have their heads screwed on well that dominate.

I nominate this for quote of the week.

[DamonD]

I can only speak personally about this, and I wasn't alive when Liston and Foreman were in their pomp, so I would have to say Tyson.

Bruno became a hero here for hurting him...not actually winning the fight or anything, but being able to hit and hurt him. Just goes to show how feared and invulnerable Tyson was seen as, outside the States as well.

Everyone thought he'd blow right past 49-0 no problems.

[China_hand_Joe]

Jeff Lacy.

Recently it is Tyson, at least in the eyes of Americans.

There were hundreds of millions to be made on Iron Mike. For that reason the American boxing media and even the mainstream media built him up to unseen height. Whilst any semi-clued up European could see he was beatable, even in his very prime, Americans thought he was unbeatable even after several victories and even a few going into his fights with Europeans Lennox Lewis and Danny Williams.


What I think is more relevant is, who had that aura in the eyes of the most knowledgable fans? Joe Calzaghe (2000-2006) had that aura even in the eyes of his opponents. Why else would he have fought so few mandatories? People simply don't want to waste their time fighting him, losing, being destroyed in the process. Knowledgable fans can appreciate no fighter in hois era can beat him at 168.

Do you know who else knew that? Bernard Hopkins knew.

[ChrisPontius]

Lennox Lewis should be on the list. I bet in terms of inspiring terror in contendors he is #1.


Chris?

I fear i'm getting a bad rep here. :lol:

I wouldn't say Lewis. Although he was avoided more than most champions, that had much to do with most boxing people deep inside knowing he was very good and dangerous, but him being very low rated by the public. In other words, he was a high risk/low reward fighter, not the ones you want to face. And needless to say, any auru was impossible after the McCall loss.


I have to agree 100% with what The Kurgan said.

A boxing type of fighter, no matter how good and skilled, will never have the aura of invincibility that a puncher has. That's why i think Ali should not be on the list, even if in the eyes of us boxing experts he looked pretty invincible in '67. On top of that, i don't think Ali was all that popular back then.


An underrated pick here may be Joe Louis. No poster here was around to fully remember his entire reign so that has its influence, although i think racism prevented him to be recognised by the entire public as invincible, the way Tyson was. The way Tyson was hyped, especially in his comeback from prison, was insane. Tyson vs McNeely was bigger in terms of money than Bowe vs Holyfield III?

[jackiebrown]

sonny liston does it for me ...people were actually considering he'd ko clay in 1 round .. they were shocked when he didnt !

[Jersey Joe]

Although my personal opinion would be Foreman before the Ali fight, if you look at betting odds, it was clearly Tyson who had the greatest aura going into the Douglas fight. He was 45-1 on favourite. Whereas Liston was only 9-1 on vs Ali. Even after the loss to Douglas, Tyson vs Holyfield odds reached 25-1 on for Mike.

I think this just goes to show that an "aura of invincibility" means jack sh*t. The betting public don't know squat and are easily fooled into think that the "big, badass" type fighters are invincible.

Hell, that might even be a profitable betting strategy. Wait for a "big puncher" type to go up against a boxer, with ridiculous odds (10-1 or more), then bet against the puncher. Shame it only happens like twice a decade.

[Dempsey1238]

Tyson was still a betting favor over Holyfiled in the rematch. What was it?? 7-5 for Tyson. And dont even get me started on the Lewis title fight when it was pick em.

[TIGEREDGE]

Sugar Ray Robinson Probably Had It In The 40's Up Til The Early 1950's.