Does Anyone Agree With Teddy Atlas' Latest Take on Mike Tyson?

[DeeMoney]

It's not just a matter of criteria.

Whichever way Atlas chooses - elegant or less - he always ends putting Tyson's name in the negative list.

It's not Tyson's fault if he fought Holyfield after three years in jail, and Lewis during the twilight of his career, when he was penniless and full of drugs.

Oh I know, he has his beef with Tyson and I am sure it tints his bias.

I just wanted it known that he actually complimented Tyson's ability throughout the article and wasn't just taking cheap shots in it. Heck, his criteria tends to match-up more with a lot of folks around here (favoring difficult wins on the resume over eye test and ability)

[Willie Pep 229]

"Heck, his criteria tends to match-up more with a lot of folks around here (favoring difficult wins on the resume over eye test and ability)"

Well stated. But I lost my respect for Atlas with the Moore fight. He's one of those trainers that thinks himself more important than the fighter.

I don't care much for those kind of guys.

[Slugfester]

Atlas did not commit himself completely. He kept saying, "I don't know if he was great." A majority of us have spoken similar words on here and Tyson didn't even try to **** our niece.

Tyson is always a hard ranking. His dynamism was eventually canceled by his vulnerabilities.

[ShoulderRoll]

Tyson is still the youngest ever heavyweight champion. And the first to unify the big three WBC, WBA, and IBF belts—something that the Klitschkos never did and the current crop of heavies has yet to manage.

Those are great accomplishments in the context of the long history of the division I would say.

[BKM-]

Tyson is still the youngest ever heavyweight champion. And the first to unify the big three WBC, WBA, and IBF belts—something that the Klitschkos never did and the current crop of heavies has yet to manage.

Those are great accomplishments in the context of the long history of the division I would say.

Yeah I mean even in the most biased anti Tyson view, those facts can't just be ignored. Youngest champ, first to unify all the titles, cleared out the albeit lacking HW division, double digit title wins, even won the title back after years of absence.

You can make the argument that he's still outside the top 10 HW's ever, but to not be worthy of the word great? That's ignorant.

[kara]

It's not just a matter of criteria.

Whichever way Atlas chooses - elegant or less - he always ends putting Tyson's name in the negative list.

It's not Tyson's fault if he fought Holyfield after three years in jail, and Lewis during the twilight of his career, when he was penniless and full of drugs.

Problem has way more money now than he did then.

[QueensburyRules]

Tyson is still the youngest ever heavyweight champion. And the first to unify the big three WBC, WBA, and IBF belts—something that the Klitschkos never did and the current crop of heavies has yet to manage.

- - Gotta pic of your Deyonce/Blubber Tribute Altar?

[ShoulderRoll]

- - Gotta pic of your Deyonce/Blubber Tribute Altar?

Tyson Fury should beat Usyk in a few months to unify. But he still hasn’t done it yet.

Did you put your Anthony Joshua poster back up on your bedroom wall, just because he was able to beat Otto Wallin?

[QueensburyRules]

Tyson Fury should beat Usyk in a few months to unify. But he still hasn’t done it yet.

Did you put your Anthony Joshua poster back up on your bedroom wall, just because he was able to beat Otto Wallin?

- - AJ more popular than Ali was starting out.

Made 100x Ali purses in front of 80,000 Fans packed in stadiums.

AJ unified titles. Ali had his stripped.

Yer welcome…

[LITTLE JOE]

All I can add is that there was for me an aura of invincibility that Tyson projected especially after the Quick Tillis fight which I feel could have gone either way. Then he went on an impressive run after that fight and KO'd some pretty durable fighters in Berbick, Pinklon Thomas and tubby Larry who was a tough one to dominate and KO. Then Don King swooped in I think in 1988 and it was never the same for him. He simply lost that eye of the tiger which Douglass exploited and he was NEVER close to the same again.