MIKE TYSON revealed the “scariest fighter that ever lived” – who would even knock out police officers.
Tyson still stands as the youngest heavyweight world champion of all time – aged just 20 when he beat Trevor Berbick for the title in 1986.
YouTubeMike Tyson revealed the ‘scariest fighter that ever lived’[/caption]
And during his frightening prime, Iron Mike lived up to his moniker of Baddest Man on The Planet.
But the reformed 59-year-old admits even he was not as intimidating as boxing great Sonny Liston.
Tyson said on The Big Podcast with Shaq: “Listen, Sonny Liston is the scariest fighter that ever lived.
“Sonny Liston would come to a town, say he’s in St. Louis and he comes to Chicago, the cops would be [like] ‘Listen, you can’t come’.
“He knocked out around four cops, broke their jaw, took their gun, they were beating him with the night stick over his head.
“There’s no fighter like Sonny Liston, Sonny Liston’s a monster.”
Liston was once a gang member committing muggings and armed robberies – landing him a five-year prison sentence in 1950 during his early 20s.
And after being released in 1952, Liston began his amateur boxing career and he turned pro only a year later.
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Liston first reigned as heavyweight champion after beating Floyd Paterson in 1962 – winning the rematch a year later.
He then faced Muhammad Ali – Cassius Clay at the time – in 1964 – losing twice to The Greatest.
Liston’s last fight was in 1970 against Chuck Wepner – the American heavyweight who inspired Sylvester Stallone’s Rocky Balboa character.
Just seven months later, the boxing legend was found dead by his wife Geraldine in their Las Vegas home.
Mystery surrounded Liston’s passing but officially he died of heart failure and lung congestion.
Needle marks found in his arm suggested he may have died of a heroin overdose while other theories claim he was murdered by the mob.
Liston’s career was allegedly controlled by mafiosos – and a row over a cut in a loan-sharking operation was a popular theory for his sudden death.
A former fight fixer also claimed Liston – an associate of England’s notorious Kray twins – was supposed to take a dive in his last fight.
But when he didn’t, he is said to have lost the Mafia a lot of money.
A coroner also suggested that the amount of heroin in his system would not have caused an overdose.
It led to conspiracies that his death was staged to look like a drug overdose – despite Liston’s known fear of needles.
Author Shaun Assael said: “I am willing to entertain the idea that it was an overdose, but not an accidental one.
“The preponderance of evidence I found suggests that it is more than likely he was killed than not.”
Getty ImagesSonny Liston pictured with England’s notorious Kray twins[/caption]
BettmannMuhammad Ali twice beat Liston[/caption] Creator – [#item_custom_dc:creator]
