Top 15 Most Feared Athletes of All Time

Opponents who lost something before the contest started. Fear as a genuine competitive advantage.

1

Mike Tyson

Opponents were beaten in the dressing room, before the walk.

2

Sonny Liston

A stare that did most of the work.

3

Lawrence Taylor

Changed how offences were built, out of necessity.

4

Dick Butkus

The standard every fearsome linebacker is measured against.

5

Ronnie Lott

Had a fingertip amputated to keep playing.

6

Khabib Nurmagomedov

Undefeated, and everyone knew how it would go.

7

Anderson Silva

Made elite fighters look like they had wandered in.

8

Roy Keane

Midfield as a hostile environment.

9

Jack Lambert

Missing front teeth, entirely on purpose.

10

Ray Lewis

Pre-game dance included.

11

Bob Gibson

Would not speak to opposing hitters, ever.

12

Nolan Ryan

A hundred miles an hour and questionable control.

13

Wilt Chamberlain

The rulebook was rewritten around him.

14

Shaquille O'Neal

Broke backboards and the concept of a defensive scheme.

15

Deontay Wilder

One-punch power that never really left the fight.