Was Tyson as good as people think?

[mozfonky]

ok, but the question will always be how will he have handled a lot of those same situations even in 88, he didn't have the shelf life to answer that so we don't know. The other guys answered any and all questions so that we could place them properly, tyson didn't. and oh yeah, before I forget, speed itself can intimidate, it's frightening when you can't see the punches coming at you and in a heavyweights case, you know you are just to big to get out of the way, nothing you can do. Even Lennox fought scared for several rounds because even that old tyson still was faster than 99 percent of the rest of the heavyweights he'd fought.

 

[nastyleft]

ok, but the question will always be how will he have handled a lot of those same situations even in 88, he didn't have the shelf life to answer that so we don't know. The other guys answered any and all questions so that we could place them properly, tyson didn't. and oh yeah, before I forget, speed itself can intimidate, it's frightening when you can't see the punches coming at you and in a heavyweights case, you know you are just to big to get out of the way, nothing you can do. Even Lennox fought scared for several rounds because even that old tyson still was faster than 99 percent of the rest of the heavyweights he'd fought.

Good point with the Lennox fight, I'm glad you see it that way. Mike was a threat all the way until he was completely washed up...Lennox had the respect because he was a smart fighter.

How would Mike have dealt with those guys earlier? Well lets just look at some of those fights where he was pushed a little bit and taken out of his comfort zone (the Bonecrusher fight is a good example). Razor Ruddock TWICE. I don't think Mike cared so much back in the day. He found ways to win even when clinched to death or with another big banger in front of him. He was pretty refined when he was with Rooney, patient, tenacious, a explosive. I will always have Mike in my Top 10 All time Overall and probably Top 5 most dangerous boxers in his prime of all time.

 

[Apocalypse604]

He was a 5'11 HW in a world of giants. He slipped his hands very fast, had great movement early in his career, and hit like a ton of bricks. yes, he was that good in his prime.

 

[burningspear]

Lennox stank the joint up vs Holyfield and Tua.
Tyson was outboxed by fuckin' Botha in 99 until he pulled a get out of jail free card from his ass.
By 2002 Mike was swiss cheese shot.
Its such a shame when contemporaries fight at different points in their career trajectories, like Roy vs Calzaghe, just distorts the picture.
Any time up to the first Evander fight I have Mike starching Lewis.

Like I said before, on his best day he probably beats all comers.

 

[Apocalypse604]

I doubt his record would contain so many KOs had he boxed the same opposition as Holyfield.

He fought the best his time had to offer him and decimated them at a very young age. Guy wasnt very big, but he was fast, strong, durable and had great movement. Even Lewis was quoted saying he would have lost had he faced Tyson back in the 80's. The man was feared and for right reason.

Now had he been around in say the Ali era, he may not have done as well...they had guys that hit harder and guys like Ali that were faster and more skilled overall. Then again, had Mayweather been around in the 80's, I highly doubt that dude would have been undefeated....very highly doubt it.

Its all about timing....Tyson in the mid to late 80's was absolute beast mode. The guy dominated for 5 years before falling victim to his own shit. Top 10 HW without a doubt. Easy top 25 ALL TIME.

 

[Sivo The Ram]

mike definitely had the power and athleticism to beat anyone on any given day but if i had to do an all time hw list i would have guys like ali, louis, holyfield, lewis, klitschoko, etc ahead of him.

tyson definitely gets viewed with rose tinted glasses now a days. people act like he's just some awesome amazing person. its kinda weird actually.

either way, one of my all time favorites to watch

 

[mozfonky]

it is the way with a fickle american public, dempsey was hated, ali was hated, tyson was hated, marciano wasn't highly thought of as a fighter when he was fighting, after their careers they all became more beloved, Ali and Tyson still have plenty of haters though.

 

[clashnat]

He fought the best his time had to offer him and decimated them at a very young age. Guy wasnt very big, but he was fast, strong, durable and had great movement. Even Lewis was quoted saying he would have lost had he faced Tyson back in the 80's. The man was feared and for right reason.

Now had he been around in say the Ali era, he may not have done as well...they had guys that hit harder and guys like Ali that were faster and more skilled overall. Then again, had Mayweather been around in the 80's, I highly doubt that dude would have been undefeated....very highly doubt it.

Its all about timing....Tyson in the mid to late 80's was absolute beast mode. The guy dominated for 5 years before falling victim to his own shit. Top 10 HW without a doubt. Easy top 25 ALL TIME.

?? We were talking about Alex Stewart.

 

[KAZSoliloquy]

Had unreal power and quickness, good defense, good chin, body shots. I guess jabbing was weakest point but even that was above average.

Tyson's jab was phenomenal. When his head movement wasn't enough on its own, his jab always got him inside on dudes. I'd say his cardio is pretty obviously Prime Tyson's weakest attribute.

 

[Celestial Kid]

[YT]=EUDogb3zO0U[/YT]

I can't think of a better athlete honestly..

He demonstrates strength, speed, and control over his movement that I just don't see on other athletes. It's perfection.

That shadowboxing gif reminded me of Rhonda Rousey shadow boxing.
[YT]watch?v=UZL-_p-JNJU[/YT] :icon_lol:

 

[burningspear]

Look at the cultural impact. Ali and Tyson - that's it!

 

[mozfonky]

both had huge impacts, Ali moreso, Tyson had a great hype machine by him and benefited by ever improving media and technology but Ali still wins hands down. Not sure where you were going with that though.

 

[burningspear]

The man on the street knows Ali and Tyson, you have to have made quite a splash to be that iconic.

 

[mozfonky]

The man on the street knows Ali and Tyson, you have to have made quite a splash to be that iconic.

sure, any icon like that has great timing too, had ali showed up 10-20 years earlier he would have been run out of the country and who knows, maybe tyson would have fit in much better in earlier times given his style and love of the old fighters but he probably wouldn't have been allowed to compete either. Can you imagine a real "thug" in the 20's who also happens to be black? Hell, they hated Dempsey and he was white, they would have lynched Tyson, come to think of it, how did Jack Johnson avoid being lynched, now that was a bad dude. As Ali said "he was all alone, no black panthers, no muslims, just him, he was baaaaaaad".

 

[burningspear]

Great perspective from Ali, we can only imagine what Johnson went through; and even imagining it is hardcore.