Recent Kevin Rooney interview about Mike Tyson

[BKM-2010]

http://www.tysontalk.com/article720.html

Talks a lot about how hard Tyson hit, says he would have been the greatest if he stuck with him etc.

[New England]

"I don’t remember the guy’s name. I believe he was being paid $400 a week. This was in the early 80′s. The guy gets into the ring [laughs]. Bell rings, Mike comes out, bop, bop, bop. Mike throws combinations. He put his hands up, like, Hold it. He steps out of the ring over the top rope – he was big, like 6-4, 6-5 – and walks out of the front door. Didn’t look for his pay, just gone. We’re all like, what’s happening?! He wanted nothing to do with Mike. He just left. It was funny"


i pulled this out of there


i cant get to reading the whole thing now but that first part had me rolling



that guy knew what was good for him evidently.

[TAC602]

"When I had Mike we were in training camp for five weeks. Back then I used to run 3-4 miles with him just to make sure he was doing it. And then we’d go to the gym. And then we’d go to a health club at night. Then we’d go do bed. When he was with me there was no partying. There was no, well I worked hard, I’m gonna go have a few drinks and try to pick up a girl. That never happened. Hey Mike, guess what? We got a title to defend and you gotta be in tip-top shape. So that Mike Tyson, if he didn’t cross channels and went with Don King, he would have gone down as the greatest heavyweight in history. Now people are talking, ah, he’s nothing. But that’s not true.”

[catskills23]

He is right about Tyson . Tyson had it all unnatural handspeed and power and elusive as any fighter and possessed boxing skills beyond any heavyweight . While Muhhammed Ali might of being faster and George Foreman might have hit harder they could only dream of posessing Tysons technique and boxing skill a facet of Tyson that is always overlooked. He really was special and really was a gift from the boxing gods . The only weakness that he had was his short reach but he was so fast, so powerfulll and so skilled that it didnt seem to matter . He was to boxing what Marradona was to soccer. Just genius.

[TAC602]

He is right about Tyson . Tyson had it all unnatural handspeed and power and elusive as any fighter and possessed boxing skills beyond any heavyweight . While Muhhammed Ali might of being faster and George Foreman might have hit harder they could only dream of posessing Tysons technique and boxing skill a facet of Tyson that is always overlooked. He really was special and really was a gift from the boxing gods . The only weakness that he had was his short reach but he was so fast, so powerfulll and so skilled that it didnt seem to matter . He was to boxing what Marradona was to soccer. Just genius.

Tyson's power and hand speed alone could give any other all-time great some difficulty, combined with the fact that he was absolutely great defensively. It's interesting to read how many people have numerous fighters rolling over him with ease. For all the talk of what he couldve or may have been, I'd say his accomplishments are actually quite impressive. He basically built a HOF career by the time he was 23 years old. He's third all-time in 1st round KOs within the division, Top 3 in WBA defenses (post-1921), Top 5 in WBC defenses (post-1963). That is, over an individual reign. He was an undisputed champion and individually unified three belts. It wasn't close to being a situation where he became undisputed and prompty lost, or was stripped or vacated.

Tyson w/ Rooney and Tyson post-Rooney are two completely different fighters. And Tyson really went off the edge from a personal standpoint after that split. I still believe he looked pretty good in the Bruno fight and Ruddock I & II. Being incarcerated for several years obviously had a bigger impact than any other, but splitting w/ Rooney and running with King are easily second.

[Capaedia]

Coulda shoulda woulda.

Just speculation about another boxer who didn't live up to his full potential.

[Scott9945]

Tyson's power and hand speed alone could give any other all-time great some difficulty, combined with the fact that he was absolutely great defensively. It's interesting to read how many people have numerous fighters rolling over him with ease. For all the talk of what he couldve or may have been, I'd say his accomplishments are actually quite impressive. He basically built a HOF career by the time he was 23 years old. He's third all-time in 1st round KOs within the division, Top 3 in WBA defenses (post-1921), Top 5 in WBC defenses (post-1963). That is, over an individual reign. He was an undisputed champion and individually unified three belts. It wasn't close to being a situation where he became undisputed and prompty lost, or was stripped or vacated.

Tyson w/ Rooney and Tyson post-Rooney are two completely different fighters. And Tyson really went off the edge from a personal standpoint after that split. I still believe he looked pretty good in the Bruno fight and Ruddock I & II. Being incarcerated for several years obviously had a bigger impact than any other, but splitting w/ Rooney and running with King are easily second.

Tyson was great defensively for about 2-3 rounds. After that he would stand straight up with considerably less head movement. Check and see if you don't believe me.

[Monte Fisto]

Coulda shoulda woulda.

Just speculation about another boxer who didn't live up to his full potential.

Exactly. Everyone is saying how Tyson had all this natural ability and if this person and that person didn't come into Tyson's life he could've been the best ever, blah, blah..

The fact of the matter is, Tyson had unbelievable talent, but, was weak-minded. His weak mind is what led him to his downfall, personally & professionally. Like the great Ali once said " the will must be greater than the skill " There's alot of truth in that Ali quote, and ultimately, that's what separates the greats from the good to mediocre fighters.

[TAC602]

Tyson was great defensively for about 2-3 rounds. After that he would stand straight up with considerably less head movement. Check and see if you don't believe me.

When his fights would go past a few rounds, yeah, it would become lost on him. I'm not putting it up there with his power and hand speed - which were on another level - but I think it was a nice compliment to his swarming style and saved him from taking a few unnecessary blows that are bound to happen in order for him to get inside and go to work. If you're talking about post-Rooney, then it couldn't be more correct. Throw in a total lack combos and anything resembling decent footwork as well.

I remember reading Mike saying his best fight or fight he likes the most being the first with Frank Bruno. Took me a second to put my finger on it before realizing this was also his first fight w/o Rooney, and I'd imagine his training habits had already started to come off the rails, but he survived it on talent and power alone. It's been a few years since I've actually watched that fight, but I recall Bruno buckling him pretty good.

Rooney obviously thinks rather highly of himself, but there's little to question about Tyson's desire and conditioning for the time he was under him: 35-0, 31 KOs, Undisputed HW Champion.

[SBleeder]

Have another drink Kevin. Tyson never had GOAT potential.