Mike Tyson is Earnie Shavers

[2fast2see]

Mike Tyson could not beat the best of his contemporaries in Evander Holyfield and Lennox Lewis. He beat alphabet soup champions and lost, in the biggest upset in boxing history, to the pedestrian, Buster Douglas. His rise to the top was a product of great marketing- get a hard puncher in the ring with soft opponents to get the quick KO. He is like Earnie Shavers who never beat the best of his era.

Earnie was always knocking out unheralded opponents, but he couldn't stop an over-the-hill Ali or, after delivering a shot that would have fell an elephant, Larry Holmes. It's true that he beat Norton, but he was a shell of his former self and was known to have a weak chin against heavy punchers. And he couldn't finish Ron Lyle after knocking him down.This is the same Lyle that got ko'd by a I-still-don't-have-my-head-screwed-on-straight-after-losing-to-Ali, Foreman.

If the two ever fought I wouldn't know who would win. Shaver's flaw was being in shape. However, he fought better competiton, carried his ko power into later rounds and didn't rely on intimidating his opponents to win. Mike's flaw was overcoming adversity- he couldn't get up from the knockdown delivered by Douglas or journeyman Danny Williams. His handspeed and combinations were his biggest assets.

YouTube - Earnie Shavers Highlight

BTW, Clubber Lang in Rocky was modeled after Shavers

 

[Hagler]

Prime Tyson had a wider range of skills and was a better athlete in almost every single way this side of pure KO power (which he wasn't exactly lacking, though).

 

[IronWolverine**]

Prime Tyson had a wider range of skills and was a better athlete in almost every single way this side of pure KO power (which he wasn't exactly lacking, though).

I truly agree

 

[The Fan Man]

Though I think Tyson was a much better boxer, they did have a lot in common as far as stylistic struggles. Both Shavers and Tyson had problems with physically strong guys they couldn't push around. Shavers couldn't push around guys like Tex Cobb or Larry Holmes the way he could Ken Norton or Ali much the same way Tyson was stalemated by the physical strength of Evander Holyfield and Lennox Lewis.

BTW, Clubber Lang in Rocky was modeled after Shavers

The story I heard is that Sly wanted Shavers in the movie as Clubber Lang and even sparred with Earnie. Sly was upset that Shavers was just jabbing to maintain distance a goated him into throwing an actual punch. Shavers threw a left hook to the body knocking Stallone's both the air and contents of his stomach out of the body.

 

[Astro Man]

Still, Tyson would've killed Tex Cobb.

 

[amhlilhaus]

nice theory, but who said lewis or holyfield were his contemporaries? tyson was long past his prime when he fought them.

end thread, tyson was a real beast before 1989, YEARS before he fought either one.

 

[2fast2see]

nice theory, but who said lewis or holyfield were his contemporaries? tyson was long past his prime when he fought them.

end thread, tyson was a real beast before 1989, YEARS before he fought either one.

It wasn't Holyfield's fault that Tyson went to prison, which caused their first fight in 1991 to be de-railed.

 

[2fast2see]

Prime Tyson had a wider range of skills and was a better athlete in almost every single way this side of pure KO power (which he wasn't exactly lacking, though).

If Tyson had fought in the 70's, his career would have mirrored Earnie's. I can't think of one champion be it Ali, Frazier, Foreman or Holmes that he would have beaten.

 

[rsreed13]

Eh. I think the way they fight is very different. Both struggled with the upper echelons during their careers, but Tyson's struggling was due to a lack of focus in his career, moreso than a lack of ability. I do think a prime Tyson would've lost to a prime Lewis, but I think his loss against Holyfield would've played out differently had Tyson not gone to prison and had a better group of people surrounding him. Tyson's lack of focus was the reason I think he lost to Buster (and I've never seen anything that suggests that Buster was lacking in talent, so much as he was lacking in heart. Something that I believe was nullified during the Tyson fight).

Shavers, IMO, was lacking in skill, though he was the hardest puncher in the Ali era. I'd still like to see them measure Earnie's power now, just to help think about how hard he punched in his prime.

 

[rsreed13]

If Tyson had fought in the 70's, his career would have mirrored Earnie's. I can't think of one champion be it Ali, Frazier, Foreman or Holmes that he would have beaten.

I think he has a shot against Frazier. I think Frazier is more powerful, but Tyson came out quick, and Frazier it seems, took some time to get going. I'm not saying Tyson hits as hard as Big George, but I think, looking at Frazier-Foreman, you can see that Tyson has a chance due to his combination punches.

 

[thelyricalmaste]

Tyson beat his Jerry Quarry level opponents. Tony Tucker was a good talent and probably Tyson's best win. He also beat Bonecrusher Smith, who is probably better than anyone Shavers' beat with the exception of Jimmy Young. And Tyson didn't lose to the Bernardo Mercado or Mike DeJohn opponents until the end of his career. I would also rate Carl Williams over Jimmy Ellis prime vs. prime.

Earnie Shavers is probably more comparable to Tommy Morrison. I would give the edge to Morrison due to the counter left hook.

 

[Sum]

Not all black people are the same.

 

[iwannabeadored]

If Tyson had fought in the 70's, his career would have mirrored Earnie's. I can't think of one champion be it Ali, Frazier, Foreman or Holmes that he would have beaten.

I know larry holmes fought mike tyson when he was just past his prime, but mike is the only guy to straight up rape larry holmes. He koed him, larry has never been koed in his career. ANd larry went on to beat ray mercer, and then lost a decision to evander holyfield in 1992, four years after getting koed by mike.

 

[iwannabeadored]

And tyson wasn't wild like shavers.

Tyson had amazing defense, incredible reflexes and athleticism, and threw tight combination's. He wasn't like shavers, dempsey, and to an extent george foreman, where they would just soley rely on pure strength, and throw wild haymakers. Tyson was controlled. Tyson was faster than anyone in the history of the sport with that kind of power.

 

[The Green Lantern]

Tyson was this and Tyson was that but when he really got tested, he folded like origami. He couldn't keep down Buster Douglas. He got beasted by Holyfield. Lewis beat him like a side of beef. He made all the wrong decisions at all the wrong times and lost all his money after being the highest paid fighter in history. What a great movie his life story would make, though....

 

[billvp**]

Tyson was this and Tyson was that but when he really got tested, he folded like origami. He couldn't keep down Buster Douglas. He got beasted by Holyfield. Lewis beat him like a side of beef. He made all the wrong decisions at all the wrong times and lost all his money after being the highest paid fighter in history. What a great movie his life story would make, though....

He didn't fold in the Buster Douglas fight. For whatever reason, Buster was the better fighter that night. Tyson kept coming forward, and kept trying. He got up from the first knockdown, etc.

 

[The Green Lantern]

He didn't fold in the Buster Douglas fight. For whatever reason, Buster was the better fighter that night. Tyson kept coming forward, and kept trying. He got up from the first knockdown, etc.

Tyson only went down once. I suggest you watch the fight.

 

[Swedish Steel]

Tyson had problems just about every time his opponent actually showed up to fight. Lot's of things can be said about the Douglas fight but what remains with me is that Douglas showed up to fight and wasn't scared of anything after the tragic events prior to the fight.

An old Larry Holmes had the right idea a couple of years before the Douglas fight but failed to execute his plan.

 

[RichardSwingslo]

nice theory, but who said lewis or holyfield were his contemporaries? tyson was long past his prime when he fought them.

end thread, tyson was a real beast before 1989, YEARS before he fought either one.

Physically I think he was fine when he fought holyfield, but he was way past his mental prime for sure

 

[NeZhA23]

Prime Tyson had a wider range of skills and was a better athlete in almost every single way this side of pure KO power