Where Does Mike Tyson Rank As An ATG?

[Prince_Pugilist]

Tyson was an ATG, borderline yes, but ATG nonetheless. He was undisputed heavyweight champion of the world, beating the number one guy in the division. Actually he didn't just beat him, he obliterated him. As he did to many of the top HW contenders of the 1980s. Not only was he winning, he was putting guys to sleep.

There was a slide after the Douglas loss but he came back to win a portion of the crown and only loss to two ATGs while he was still considered a competitive fighter. Tyson's career post Lewis does not count.

[orriray59]

Nobody can simply sit there and say Mike Tyson isn't an ATG. I'm not an Iron Mike fan, or a nuthugger, but here's the deal.

He cleaned out his division, taking a decent set of boxers by storm. He beat a still very competent Holmes, Berbick, Williams, Bruno x2, Smith, Tucker, etc. Stopping most of them. He was the first and only man to stop Larry Holmes. Guys like McCall, Holyfield, etc. Couldn't stop a fatter and older Holmes.

There's much to be said about a guy who unifies and dominates his division, beating everybody there is to beat. Sure, he ****ed up along the way and has some losses there that are inexcusable, but so what? It happens. Tyson was one of the greats.

[kiDynamite92]

He squeezes into the top 10 for me as a heavyweight, p4p wise I wouldn't know. Maybe in the top 50. And posters calling Tyson a quitter a really stupid, did anyone see the sort of beating he took against Lewis before he went down? Holyfield got what he deserved, in fact Tyson should have gone one step further and bit his fxcking nose off. Holyfield was fighting dirty the whole time, what's wrong with Tyson getting even? Ref should have let the fight to the death.

[Anthony342]

The old adage in any sport is that the best way to get even is to win. He could've held Holyfield and hit him, headbutted him back, pushed him back, etc. and gone for the knockout. No need to bite him. There's just no excuse for that.

[Growth]

He was a great, perhaps top fifteen. His fans do forget how dirty of a fighter he was though. Hitting guys while they were down, trying to break arms, elbows, biting and head butts. He was just mean and didn't think the rules applied to him.

[SBleeder]

Originally Posted by Anthony342

The old adage in any sport is that the best way to get even is to win. He could've held Holyfield and hit him, headbutted him back, pushed him back, etc. and gone for the knockout. No need to bite him. There's just no excuse for that.

He bit him a second time after Lane told him that he'd be disqualified if he did. He wanted the fight to be over, but he needed to preserve his "I'm an animal" image. In my book, it was no different than him quitting on his stool... which he would go on to do against McBride.

I'm perhaps the most outspoken critic of Tyson on this site, but I will bite the bullet and call him a borderline ATG. But his lack of a warrior's heart was displayed time and time again throughout his career.

[likeamulekick]

What he lacks in heart, he makes up on, on his shear will to knock you out with every punch he threw. A full motivated tyson like the 1 on pinklon thomas's night would give most ATGs trouble. I think a young prime, mentally healthy and a patient agressive tyson differs greatly from his other performances

[poet682006]

Originally Posted by likeamulekick

What he lacks in heart, he makes up on, on his shear will to knock you out with every punch he threw. A full motivated tyson like the 1 on pinklon thomas's night would give most ATGs trouble. I think a young prime, mentally healthy and a patient agressive tyson differs greatly from his other performances

Hmmmm.....you DO realize that Tyson looked rather pedestrian the first four rounds of the Thomas fight right? The Biggs fight would be a much better example to use.

Poet

[crold1]

Originally Posted by poet682006

Hmmmm.....you DO realize that Tyson looked rather pedestrian the first four rounds of the Thomas fight right? The Biggs fight would be a much better example to use.

Poet

To be fair, it was the rounds between one and six. He looked like a beast in round one.

[likeamulekick]

Originally Posted by poet682006

Hmmmm.....you DO realize that Tyson looked rather pedestrian the first four rounds of the Thomas fight right? The Biggs fight would be a much better example to use.

Poet

I was referring to the fact that tyson said in his corner that he was tierd after trying to knock out thomas in the early rounds, tyson battered him round 1 and thomas dint go down. I was talking about his will to finish with a ko in that last round, he digged really deep to finish that fight with a knockout. Tyson stalked biggs in the early rounds, wheras tysons mindset in the thomas fight was him in his prime in my opinion