Agreed that comparing someone like Mizerak to Shane is a difficult task, but Mizerak was about the scariest opponent you could draw in the straight pool era (post Mosconi/Greenleaf/Crane, of course), and that's including Sigel. Steve owned Sigel early in their careers, but Mike's game eventually passed Steve's. That said, Steve won four consecutive US Open 14.1 events, each of which probably had almost twenty future hall of famers in the field, and that's among the greatest accomplishments in the history of our sport.
Good post, and here, I think we run into records, rather than who may be the scariest opponent. No doubt, I'm a Mizerak fan, and am aware that he won four consecutive U.S. Opens.
On U.S. Opens, or if you want to call one a World Open straight pool, I believe Mike Sigel has at least three.
Then, there is the overall record. I'm pretty sure Sigel has well over one hundred tournament wins, whereas I think Mizerak's is more like a dozen. Not to take away from the Miz, but he has nowhere near the record of Sigel. Mizerak's was more a popularity thing, especially since he was so marketable with the Bud Lite commercials, and therefore, exhibitions and the like. But those don't count on who belongs on the list. If MIzerak's record is much bigger, that would be great to know.
Not drawing a conclusion, just pointing out a couple things.
All the best,
WW