Tyson in his pomp

[LeTallecWiz]

Not the biggest boxing fan - but was just watching some of his fights and from fights I remember seeing of other legends - be it Ali, or Foreman, or Holyfield etc - I just cannot think of a boxer who was as intimidating, vicious or dedicated to destroying the boxer he faced.

Where do people rank a 'in his prime' Tyson among the best? and overall where does he stand in boxing history?

 

[dantes]

Teddy Atlas ripped into him on one of the Rogan podcasts. To the effect all of his wins were uncontested walks in the park. Then the five or six times he faced resistance and had to overcome it, he lost every time. Which meant he was not a true fighter.

I think if someone resisted him in his prime, they quickly realised what a stupid idea it was, and were grateful to be put to sleep as soon as possible.

 

[Athens]

I remember reading that Tyson had a breathing problem, and he tired easily so he always tried to get the fights over with quickly. If you lasted more than a few rounds then you had a chance.

 

[Woland]

I'm no expert, I've watched the boxing all my life without knowing much about it, just enjoying a good scrap. I think Tyson stands out as the most formidable out of the lot, but have no stats to back that up. He was genuinely scary to watch.

 

[Athens]

The three scariest things in the 80s were AIDS, the threat of nuclear war and Iron Mike.

 

[dantes]

Buster Douglas. Michael Thomas, and Bradman getting bowled for 0 are the three top things to correct once we develop the tech to rewrite time. All travesties that should never have happened in this universe. They ruined this universe. Like disgusting stains to be eradicated and order restored.

 

[Judge Jules]

"Most intimidating" (which Tyson may well have been, though Frazier and Foreman at their best would also have been in the running) doesn't necessarily equal "best" and in this case I definitely don't think it does. IMO if in top form those two and Ali, to name three, would all have beaten him.

 

[Mors]

If Mike hadn't lost Cus so early into his career, and then foolishly sacking his coach (Kevin Rooney), I believe he would have turned into the greatest boxer of all time, any generation.
There's an interview with him where he discusses him in his prime vs ali in his prime, and he thinks he has absolutely no chance of beating him, due to ali dodging long enough to take him out into the later rounds and drown him, like he did with everyone. I think he's being respectful of the GOAT though there, I think in his prime, he absolutely would have caught ali, and I know ali got hit very very hard by frazier/shavers/norton/foreman in his career, but he never got hit by anything as ferocious as what Tyson could put out. I think he'd have ko'd the GOAT early doors.

Prime Tyson is the greatest 'fighter' of all time, no one anywhere near close.
Tyson is nowhere near the greatest boxer of all time though.

**edit**

Worth noting that the greatest, Ali, lost a few fights in his prime vs other fighters in their prime. That didn't happen to Tyson apart from the buster douglas fluke, he was way out of his prime when it started going downhill.

 

[Judge Jules]

Let's agree to differ. When Foreman beat Frazier he lifted the guy - JOE FRAZIER mind you - clean off his feet with an uppercut. Ali took all that power for round after round and then knocked Foreman out. I don't for a single second agree that Tyson's power would have posed him an even bigger problem.

As for Ali losing fights, a fair few of those were when he wasn't anywhere close to his prime either. The fighters who managed to beat him when he was at his best were light years ahead of Douglas in quality BTW and would also have beaten Tyson.

 

[Athens]

I believe that Ali was also fighting in a time when the average pro boxer was more hardened than Tyson's era.

 

[Mors]

Let's agree to differ. When Foreman beat Frazier he lifted the guy - JOE FRAZIER mind you - clean off his feet with an uppercut. Ali took all that power for round after round and then knocked Foreman out. I don't for a single second agree that Tyson's power would have posed him an even bigger problem.

As for Ali losing fights, a fair few of those were when he wasn't anywhere close to his prime either. The fighters who managed to beat him when he was at his best were light years ahead of Douglas in quality BTW and would also have beaten Tyson.

Re that bit in bold. Tyson lifted Bruno off his feet......
That's 17.5stones. Ridiculous power.

 

[dantes]

Let's agree to differ. When Foreman beat Frazier he lifted the guy - JOE FRAZIER mind you - clean off his feet with an uppercut. Ali took all that power for round after round and then knocked Foreman out. I don't for a single second agree that Tyson's power would have posed him an even bigger problem.

As for Ali losing fights, a fair few of those were when he wasn't anywhere close to his prime either. The fighters who managed to beat him when he was at his best were light years ahead of Douglas in quality BTW and would also have beaten Tyson.

All of them were past his prime, because the scumbag warmongering cunt of a government robbed him of those years.

 

[Athens]

This is my favourite Mike Tyson story.

Met mike Tyson told him I lost my virginity the night he beat spinks in 81 seconds but the fight lasted longer than I did he started laughing then stood up and hugged me

 

[ILD]

He was the baddest man on the planet. Scary fighter to watch. I love looking back on his old fights.