“I think the very first boogeyman was Sonny Liston. I believe there were many others after him. I think his personality definitely influenced Mike Tyson. He tried to copy Liston's approach in terms of looking angry and blank, intimidating his opponent, using fear as a weapon like the left hook or right hand, trying to take something away from the fighter. There is no doubt that Tyson was eager to do this. I think the model he was looking at was Sonny Liston. I believe that George Foreman, when he first came, also copied this script a little.
It seems to me that Roberto Duran went his own way. He comes from Panama, its harsh streets. I don't think he even knew Sonny Liston. Liston aside, I think Durant could be the next first boogeyman. He had it real. This image was created by his life,” Atlas said.