Peter Mcneeley rushing Tyson and going out on his shield is the most warrior shit I've ever seen in a boxing ring

[ferrisjso]

McNeely was not even the toughest kid in Medfield.

His father was boxer so was probably one of those kids whose entire life revolved around becoming a boxer and who'd have never been in the sport with a different background.

 

[4daLuLZ]

Now there’s a guy who was let out the cage.
His guy had him in a cage and then he let him out.
A bit early, true, but uncaged.

 

[Takes_Two_To_Tango]

Seriously he rushed Tyson like Mike was a cab driver or something. Absolutely no respect for a version of Mike who was still the most feared guy in boxing at the time. No fucks given, all heart and warrior spirit.


Oh can't forget Pete's pre fight speech either

I agree this is some absolute badass warrior shit. The man had no fear.

 

[mozfonky]

Most people I know remember the fight this way too, but it wasn't actually the towel that stopped the fight. McNeely was DQ'd because Vecchione stepped into the ring at 89 seconds. There is a very big likelihood that this was one of the more notable "fixed" fights that is hardly ever mentioned as a fixed fight because everyone knows Tyson would just wipe McNeely out regardless. There was apparently a very big bet placed on Tyson to stop McNeely within the first half of the first round (90 seconds) within 24 hours of fight time. The belief is that Vecchione convinced McNeely that bum rushing Tyson was his only chance and they prepared to do just that, with Vinnie thinking Mike could stop a rushing McNeely quick. When Peter got up and came back for more, Vinnie threw the towel and went into the ring so the fight would be stopped before the half-way point of the first. Charles Farrell talks about it in this article toward the bottom. Also, the article is just a great read for any boxing fan as its Farrell talking about how he personally fixed fights.

Why I Fixed Fights

I fixed a lot of fights over the years. In two I didn't fix but should have, people paid heavily for my carelessness. Even though I set up Mitch "Blood" Green and Leon Spinks cushion-soft in their comeback fights, I managed to get one embarrassed and the other nearly killed. There had been...

deadspin.com

boxing is full of those stories, without hard proof I just ignore them.

 

[Seahawks Fan]

Most people I know remember the fight this way too, but it wasn't actually the towel that stopped the fight. McNeely was DQ'd because Vecchione stepped into the ring at 89 seconds. There is a very big likelihood that this was one of the more notable "fixed" fights that is hardly ever mentioned as a fixed fight because everyone knows Tyson would just wipe McNeely out regardless. There was apparently a very big bet placed on Tyson to stop McNeely within the first half of the first round (90 seconds) within 24 hours of fight time. The belief is that Vecchione convinced McNeely that bum rushing Tyson was his only chance and they prepared to do just that, with Vinnie thinking Mike could stop a rushing McNeely quick. When Peter got up and came back for more, Vinnie threw the towel and went into the ring so the fight would be stopped before the half-way point of the first. Charles Farrell talks about it in this article toward the bottom. Also, the article is just a great read for any boxing fan as its Farrell talking about how he personally fixed fights.

Why I Fixed Fights

I fixed a lot of fights over the years. In two I didn't fix but should have, people paid heavily for my carelessness. Even though I set up Mitch "Blood" Green and Leon Spinks cushion-soft in their comeback fights, I managed to get one embarrassed and the other nearly killed. There had been...

deadspin.com

Fixed or not, McNeeley went after Mike and got clobbered good for it. The way you describe things it sounds like McNeeley didn't have a clue the fix was in. So his warrior cred doesn't take a hit.

 

[Seahawks Fan]

he gave it his shot and moved Tyson back, it was a good opponent for a guy who hadn't had that in a few years. I still think Tyson looked physically amazing in his first few fights back, he was a bit slower though but still faster than 99 percent of the world's heavyweights. The fight was heavily criticized because people are just stupid. If that guy had gone out and did a kevin mcbride on Tyson people would be saying they should have chosen a better opponent. They brought Tyson along still too fast inspite of all the bullshit criticism about how he was beating bums. He was in no way ready for an Evander or a Lewis and putting them in with evander left him permanently shot. I still think there was a little window there for Mike to come back and achieve greatness like Ali did, a small window and it got shut.

Ali's comeback, often compared, was really nothing like tysons. Ali fought two very dangerous opponents before fighting the best thing going. He failed, it follows that Tyson would have some problems.

I have my doubts about what Tyson could have done post prison. If you read his autobiography then it's clear that a lot of his post-prison deficiencies in the ring were attributable to his lifestyle outside of it. He was also a mentally weaker man during his return, nothing like the single-minded animal Cus D'amato created. His handlers could have brought him along as slowly as possible and it would not have made a difference. Prison, Alcohol, coke, partying, tail-chasing, lack of commitment to training, age, absence of Cus etc. all made for a diminished version of the phenomenon we knew in the late 80s. And even still, I'm not sure he could have ever beaten Holyfield. But it is an interesting thing to consider: what would a Tyson vs Holyfield fight had looked like if it happened between 89-91?

 

[Seahawks Fan]

Now there’s a guy who was let out the cage.
His guy had him in a cage and then he let him out.
A bit early, true, but uncaged.

I remember as soon as Chris Algieri got let out if the cage he got out on his ass. One of the funniest moments ever in boxing

 

[mozfonky]

I have my doubts about what Tyson could have done post prison. If you read his autobiography then it's clear that a lot of his post-prison deficiencies in the ring were attributable to his lifestyle outside of it. He was also a mentally weaker man during his return, nothing like the single-minded animal Cus D'amato created. His handlers could have brought him along as slowly as possible and it would not have made a difference. Prison, Alcohol, coke, partying, tail-chasing, lack of commitment to training, age, absence of Cus etc. all made for a diminished version of the phenomenon we knew in the late 80s. And even still, I'm not sure he could have ever beaten Holyfield. But it is an interesting thing to consider: what would a Tyson vs Holyfield fight had looked like if it happened between 89-91?

Not sure how honest the book was, certain things made me think it was exaggerated, either way holy would have been tough for him, even today, that's their chemistry.

 

[Goatenstein]

People are still in denial that Holyfield was losing until he blatantly headbutted Mike.

 

[mozfonky]

People are still in denial that Holyfield was losing until he blatantly headbutted Mike.

you think he was losing? Is that what you mean? Or are you saying people are in denial than Holy was beating him? Not sure here. That fight was a great one but Holyfield took it too mike right from the first round. Ya, we know holyfield used his head, Mike probably still claims that he can't remember most of the fight. Holyfield had his number in both fights and would today too, even with him being broken down. Mike was looking good in his post-prison fights but most of those guys were scared to death. Holyfield was picked because he was thought of as an easy victim, the press tore Tyson's people a new asshole for that fight and they ended up being wrong, no one thought Holyfield could pull that off and it would not surprise me one bit if Mike was in much better condition for every post prison fight before that. Holyfield looked like a dead man against Cyzz.

 

[Absolut]

Cocoon of horrah!

 

[tymikeson]

you think he was losing? Is that what you mean? Or are you saying people are in denial than Holy was beating him? Not sure here. That fight was a great one but Holyfield took it too mike right from the first round. Ya, we know holyfield used his head, Mike probably still claims that he can't remember most of the fight. Holyfield had his number in both fights and would today too, even with him being broken down. Mike was looking good in his post-prison fights but most of those guys were scared to death. Holyfield was picked because he was thought of as an easy victim, the press tore Tyson's people a new asshole for that fight and they ended up being wrong, no one thought Holyfield could pull that off and it would not surprise me one bit if Mike was in much better condition for every post prison fight before that. Holyfield looked like a dead man against Cyzz.

Holyfield wont the first 2 rounds of the rematch,but tyson looked great in the 3rd round, he rocked holyfield a few times and looked like he was coming on, but alas, he lost his temper and the rest is history.

 

[mozfonky]

Holyfield wont the first 2 rounds of the rematch,but tyson looked great in the 3rd round, he rocked holyfield a few times and looked like he was coming on, but alas, he lost his temper and the rest is history.

Tyson should not have been the one calling his career shots, the old time fighters had other men do that for good reason. Mike was in no way ready for a fight like that after the first one, and he tried to be douglas in an immediate rematch too. Some fighters are able to adjust after a brutal kayo but Mike was not mentally stern enough to be one of them. I say that to preface that Mike was looking fearful before the fight. Shame that such a prodigy got mishandled and mishandled himself. I still think he filled maybe 75 percent of his potential and that was enough to really accomplish what he did. Imagine if he'd pulled off a career like Louis or Ali, which everyone expected.

 

[TheGreatA]

His old man hit the canvas about a dozen times against another Cus D'Amato trained opponent.

 

[Seahawks Fan]

Tyson should not have been the one calling his career shots, the old time fighters had other men do that for good reason. Mike was in no way ready for a fight like that after the first one, and he tried to be douglas in an immediate rematch too. Some fighters are able to adjust after a brutal kayo but Mike was not mentally stern enough to be one of them. I say that to preface that Mike was looking fearful before the fight. Shame that such a prodigy got mishandled and mishandled himself. I still think he filled maybe 75 percent of his potential and that was enough to really accomplish what he did. Imagine if he'd pulled off a career like Louis or Ali, which everyone expected.

I like Tyson as much as the next guy, but this is wishful thinking at best. Tyson absolutely reached his potential, he just did it super early and then fizzled out just as quickly owing to bad lifestyle choices. He was never going to be on the level of Louis and Ali because his limitations would have gotten in the way. But more importantly, the young group of heavyweights that was creeping up during the late 80s and 90s would have ended his reign rather quickly; if Tyson hadn't lost to Douglas then eventually he would have had a reckoning with Lewis, Bowe, and or Holyfield which would have clearly demonstrated he wasn't the best HW around. If anything, his prison stint shielded him from the ass whippings that were coming his way.

 

[mozfonky]

I like Tyson as much as the next guy, but this is wishful thinking at best. Tyson absolutely reached his potential, he just did it super early and then fizzled out just as quickly owing to bad lifestyle choices. He was never going to be on the level of Louis and Ali because his limitations would have gotten in the way. But more importantly, the young group of heavyweights that was creeping up during the late 80s and 90s would have ended his reign rather quickly; if Tyson hadn't lost to Douglas then eventually he would have had a reckoning with Lewis, Bowe, and or Holyfield which would have clearly demonstrated he wasn't the best HW around. If anything, his prison stint shielded him from the ass whippings that were coming his way.

I think he could have, his limits would have been an issue no matter what but I really think he could have done many different things to compensate. He stopped improving around 89 and when what he did to mcneeley and many others didn't work, he was in trouble. Holyfield was beatable, Lewis was beatable, they fought the fights of their lives against an old Tyson but both had lost before that to guys who weren't as good. I've said it before but Tyson didn't really ever learn to fight at any other pace than full throttle, just doing like duran did, with his speed and gifts would have made him so much better instead of 100 percent in every punch, he also could have and did at times, fought like Hector Camacho, in and out, he could have learned to fight better inside instead of just fighting on the way in and then resetting. Those would have helped when he either couldn't land his big punches or he did land and the guy was still standing. Any fighter has to have more than one great tool, Foreman learned that, Ali didn't have to because he instinctively knew that his reflexes or speed alone wouldn't be enough and he had other attributes. A great fighter has to be able to do or at least try to do a little of everything. Dempsey and Frazier have mentioned times when what they did best wouldn't have worked and they would have to do something they weren't so good at with a certain opponent to win.

Sharkey (an older poster) used to say mike was an overachiever and I guess a case could be made, I just happen to think there were a lot of different things he could have learned to do but he just stopped improving at an age when most heavyweights are lucky to be contenders or prospects.

 

[burningspear]

Respect for running headlong into the abyss but going out on his shield? The corner jumped in as soon as he received a couple clips.

 

[toogreen]

i rather watch this fight 9 times than watch shakur vs a puncher