Where Does Mike Tyson Rank As An ATG?

[GrandpaBernard]

I been using boxing forums for a few years but have never seen no talk about Mike's ATG number. It's unspoken of which is strange.

[IronDanHamza]

He's not an ATG, overall.

He's an ATG HW IMO but not an ATG in general.

[Keitha313]

Who is Mike Tyson's marquee fight?
Answer that then justify it to why he deserves to be up on the list next to guys like Jersey Joe Walcott, Joe Louis, George Foreman and so on.
Then the fact he slipped out of his prime when most heavyweights generally peak, he's a what could of been kind of fighter, Larry Holmes summed him up in one he would be the destruction of himself he doesn't deserve ATG even in HW category far as I'm concerned.

[TysonBomb]

Typical moronic replies

Tyson is easily a top 10 HW and top 3 H2H HW

HW should rank higher overall on these lists than the lower weight classes, which matter far less.

Originally Posted by Keitha313

Who is Mike Tyson's marquee fight?
Answer that then justify it to why he deserves to be up on the list next to guys like Jersey Joe Walcott, Joe Louis, George Foreman and so on.
Then the fact he slipped out of his prime when most heavyweights generally peak, he's a what could of been kind of fighter, Larry Holmes summed him up in one he would be the destruction of himself he doesn't deserve ATG even in HW category far as I'm concerned.

This is beyond stupid. Tyson was the youngest heavyweight champion ever to this day and was the first in nearly a decade to become the undisputed heavyweight champion of the world. His skills and ability were unmatched and he effectively cleaned out the division at the age of 21 after beating Spinks, the only guy left to fight. Within 3 years he became the biggest name in boxing. He's the only heavyweight to ever come out of incarceration for 4 years and win two titles.

Nothing that he's done has ever been close to being accomplished again. No one has ever ripped through the heavyweight division over night and captured its biggest prize the way Mike Tyson did.

Louis lost to past prime Schmeling and had an awful chin with had no footwork at all. He was clearly out boxed by the likes of Walcott and Charles and even the morbidly obese Tony Galento had his shinning moments against Louis. His resume is stacked full of bums that would even give him trouble from time to time.

His best trait or skill was combination punching, a category that Tyson was superior in.

Walcott has a record full of losses and Foreman was stopped in his prime by a fading Ali. Foreman had limited skills and threw wide, looping shots.

Besides Ali no one was as big of a name or a global sensation like Tyson was.

[BigStereotype]

Edwin Valero for GOAT, guys.

[raf727]

Originally Posted by TysonBomb

HW should rank higher overall on these lists than the lower weight classes, which matter far less.

No, just no. HW is eye catching for sure, but no weight class 'matters' more or less than any other, that is just disrespectful to any fighter who is not a HW.

I guess John Ruiz was more important to boxing than Charley Burley, or Harry Greb, Henry Armstrong, etc.?

[GrandpaBernard]

Originally Posted by raf727

No, just no. HW is eye catching for sure, but no weight class 'matters' more or less than any other, that is just disrespectful to any fighter who is not a HW.

I guess John Ruiz was more important to boxing than Charley Burley, or Harry Greb, Henry Armstrong, etc.?

The weight classes that have the best fighters are the most relevant classes imo

[Ray Corso]

Not an ATG, no way, he QUIT against Evander so he wouldn't get KO'ed!!!
What ATG QUITS in a Title fight!! I'm so sick of these Tyson fans who think he's a great fight, he fought great against terrible competition his first 20 fights were against "hand picked" guys who couldn't break an egg!
Could he fight great....................Yes! When the stakes were highest against solid men he got beat and/or QUIT!

The style he was taught was extremely hard to maintain as he got older its a style that dictates flexability and stamina and Mike was NOT a disciplined fighter by the time he got to Evander thats how Evander walked him. Push the "bully" back and see what happens....................he QUIT!

Its in file for every Tyson FAN to see he bite Evander to get out of the fight theres no other reason. Every fighter knows its an automatic DQ for biting!!

You saw and OLD Joe Louis try hard against Rocky and get beaten bad but he didn't QUIT!
Who ever said that Max was passed his prime when he defeated Joe doesn't know history! Max is one of the best heavies to lace them up and was technically sound even out of his prime. Joe Louis does NOT have a weak chin anyone who thinks that or says that is a FOOL!

I have Tyson on the Maybe ATG great list in front of George the Animal Steele and in back of "Nature Boy" Buddy Rogers!! HA!! right where he belongs! Ray

[SBleeder]

Ability-wise he's about #10 or so amongst heavyweights. Factoring in his relatively weak resume, I rank him #12 on my heavyweight list.

P4P he's certainly nowhere near the top 50. I had him at #83 on my most recent Top 100 list, but I've rehashed that list countless times, so who knows. Definitely bottom quarter of any top 100 list, which IMO makes him an ATG, but just barely. His skills and H2H ability are incredibly overrated.

And LOL at TysonTard who says the heavyweights should rank higher than the other weight classes. If anything, it's the other way around.

Also, Tyson is NOT the youngest HW champion of all time. That honor belongs to Floyd Patterson. Tyson didn't become champion until he beat Spinks.

[res]

Originally Posted by SBleeder

Also, Tyson is NOT the youngest HW champion of all time. That honor belongs to Floyd Patterson. Tyson didn't become champion until he beat Spinks .

This is a good point, never thought about that.

Anyway to answer the OP, the reason he isn't discussed more than he is in ATG conversations is because ATG status is not about ability it is about accomplishment, and Tyson is in many ways a story of unfulfilled potential. Champions are usually highly ranked because of who they beat or how long they reigned, or a fair combo of those two things. Tyson lost or never fought all the most formidable fighters of his era ( Holyfield, Lewis, Bowe). He held the true title (the Lineal title) for around 20 months, lost to a guy who was one grade up from a Boxing journeyman, and then never captured the lineal title again.

Again, a discussion of all time great ability would be different.