Tyson: Best Fighter of the last 20 years?

What do you think? I know that Whitaker, Holyfield and De La Hoya were the best of the 1990's with maybe a young Mosley not far behind, but Tyson was lb4lb #1 in the mid-to-late 1980's. He was the best fighter in the world. Tyson, at his peak in 1987, would beat any Heavyweight 20 years previous and easily any Heavyweight since (the only fighter who might be able to beat him would be the Ali that fought Liston, THAT Ali may be the one fighter to cause Tyson a problem). The Heavyweight division was filled with plenty of talent when Tyson came along, you had excellent operators such as Pinklon Thomas, Tony Tubbs and an undefeated Tucker, they make Holyfield and Lewis look like muscle-bound sacks of shit by comparison. Yet the 215lb kid Tyson cleared out the division in a few short years of speed, power, sharp defence and amazing accuracy. After tearing through the ranks as an awesome prospect, he knocked down Berbick three times with one punch to become the Youngest Heavyweight Champion of All Time. He soon became the first boxer to ever unify the Heavyweight titles. He beat the WBC champion, then beat the WBA champion, then beat the IBF champion, then beat the former WBC champion, then beat the former IBF champion, then beat the former WBA champion, then knocked out the Lineal champion in one round. After knocking out the Lineal champion in one round, he hinted at retirement because he had nothing left to prove. But he fired his trainer Kevin Rooney and just became a walking freakshow in and out of the ring, Post-June1988 he was just looking for the one big punch rather than throwing combinations. He abandoned everything after leaving the Catskills - he was hardly ever at the gym, stopped moving his head, stopped throwing jabs, stopping throwing body shots, stopped throwing combinations, stopped fighting often, and starved himself before each fight to get down from 250lbs because he hadn't trained (which caused him to be a shadow of his former self against Bruno, Williams and Douglas). But Tyson, who was so damn good that he achieved Everything in just a few years before going off the rails, surely must be a real contender for the best fighter of the last 20 years? Also bare in mind that he overcame adversity by coming out of a four-year prison stay to regain the Heavyweight titles! http://img229.imageshack.us/img229/2417/tyson86875sl.png

Comments (19)

Allright lets get something straight, everyone has put the blame on Mike Tyson's career on the death of his trainer, firing people, bad management, and the jail time. What about blaming Mike Tyson himself? He is responsible for his own decesions inside and outside the ring. He is one of the stupidist boxers outside the ring ever. How do you blow 300 million? He had 3 years of prime fighting or so, and then nothing. That is not a great fighter. The guy is a an idiot.

20y ago

hollister

I also think Holmes was a much better fighter than tyson and would have beaten him easily, had he been in top form. Tyson was still the most exciting heavy I can think of from that era, but I don't consider him the best.

20y ago

hollister

That's not what I'm talking about. I'm talking about how he was so damn good with certain people, & then became a shithead after they were gone. If he was as unbelievably awesome as his rabid fanbase believes, he should have handled the changes better. Not only that, but his style didn't really change enough to blame his trainer. My point is, even if he had maintained his conditioning, the larger fighters with a defense would have always given him problems.

20y ago

number6

Tyson in his prime would have beaten any heavyweight of any era imo.But that is only based of what he could potentially do.He hit self destruct and we never got to see how great he could have been.Even so,he still accomplished great things in boxing and will never be forgotten but to answer the question i would have to say no.

20y ago

ZeIronOne

tysons one of the most exciting fighters of the last 20 years, he is one of the best in the heavy division, i think he did have a couple of fights where he had to fight back but also remember he hardly ever won a fight he was losing on the cards which is a shame, for example against douglas, holy, the only one i can think of is vs botha, any other fight hes been dominated in hes been stopped, shame

20y ago

Truth8215

One thing is for sure, NO ONE WILL EVER FORGET MICHAEL GERARD TYSON!!!!NEVER!!!!

20y ago

AintGottaClue

no, there are alot of great fighters, especailly from the last 20 years, and tyson isnt the best, one of but not the

20y ago

Truth8215

20y ago

RAESAAD

No tyson is not the best fighter in the last 20 years I don't even think he is top 10 of the last 20 years overall maybe in the HW division but thats still questionable IMO.I think he is grossly overrated.

20y ago

jabsRstiff

Thats not true, I have seen many Tyson fights where Mike faught back and won. That's not what I'm talking about. I'm talking about how he was so damn good with certain people, & then became a shithead after they were gone. If he was as unbelievably awesome as his rabid fanbase believes, he should have handled the changes better.

20y ago

kallsop

The general public pays most attention to the heavyweight champion, and Tyson was young and dynamic and undisputed champion. He cleaned out the division, but couldn't hang with the next generation (Holyfield, Lewis, Bowe if they had met, ...). It wan't only the poor training and eroding skills and lack of morals that caused the decline. The new fighters could handle Tyson, plain and simple.

20y ago

Truth8215

This is so true and Jabs has just laid down the law to the idiot Tyson fans, Karma for jabs! Thats not true, I have seen many Tyson fights where Mike faught back and won.

20y ago

Kimmy

All you guys are telling me when you cite that nonsense, is that Mike Tyson had absolutely no ability to ADAPT, & fell apart when he was UNCOMFORTABLE. This is so true and Jabs has just laid down the law to the idiot Tyson fans, Karma for jabs!

20y ago

Super_Lightweight

hmm Tyson was flawed even in his prime and you could see it in his fights vs Ferguson and the Truth Williams. He fell in love with his power very early on and it screwed him.

20y ago

jabsRstiff

"when Tyson came along, you had excellent operators such as Pinklon Thomas, Tony Tubbs and an undefeated Tucker, they make Holyfield and Lewis look like muscle-bound sacks of shit by comparison." This statement.....epitomizes the foolish, absurd things said by JUYJUY. I saw all of those guys fight, & none of them were on the level of Lewis or Holyfield. Just more propaganda from this guy. Mike Tyson is nowhere near the best of the last 20 years. There are so many fighters who blow him out of the water. I'm also tired of hearing how he was so great with certain trainers, & in a certain camp. All you guys are telling me when you cite that nonsense, is that Mike Tyson had absolutely no ability to ADAPT, & fell apart when he was UNCOMFORTABLE.

20y ago

Truth8215

He uses illegal tactics when he is frusturated with opponents he can't beat like low blows, headbutts, arm twisting, and bitting. Mike Tyson was designed for one thing, to knock people out, and when he could no longer do it, he had no confidence and that led him to self-destruct. That is why I don't think he is the best fighter, sure he was a fighter in all means, but there are so many more notable fighters. Thats not true at one point he was the ULTIMATE PUNCHER/BOXER. Tyson had it all, even when people faught he was able to win. When he got out jail and left Kevin Rooney thats when what you said came into effect.

20y ago

enadeus

Well maybe the best heavyweight in the last 20 years, but there were many other people at lighter weights who I would consider just as good as Tyson, p4p. Tyson cleaned out the heavyweight division, and then self destructed. He uses illegal tactics when he is frusturated with opponents he can't beat like low blows, headbutts, arm twisting, and bitting. Mike Tyson was designed for one thing, to knock people out, and when he could no longer do it, he had no confidence and that led him to self-destruct. That is why I don't think he is the best fighter, sure he was a fighter in all means, but there are so many more notable fighters. More so, look at the general publics perception of Mike Tyson, a crazy retard. Ask anyone. His legacy is forever tarnished.

20y ago

JoeLouis1938

yea man, he brought boxing back from the dead for a little while. He put a spark back into the sport and everybody liked him He was amazing to watch and people followed his every step because they were so interested.

20y ago

Dirt_E_Gomez

The first paragraph alone I disagree with. Foreman and Frazier both beat a prime Tyson... or the "prime" that we saw, regardless of prison time. In the past 20 years there has been Holyfield, Lewis, Hearns, Hagler, and Duran... All leave better legacies in my eyes than Tyson.

20y ago