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

[Ivich]

the Klitschkos did for like a decade

Cherry pickers.

[tokon]

IQ tests are not the most reliable, though. Look where Tyson is today, both as an entrepreneur and in general as a public figure, in opposition to Holyfield himself, or someone like Bobby Czyz.

Czyz boasted his Mensa membership with a very high IQ. But his life - characterized by several DUI arrests, the loss of his commentator position at Showtime, and bankruptcy after more troubles - proved otherwise.

Ultimately, Tyson paid a price for what he did in his youth, and openly admitted being a poor human being on multiple occasions.

Has he ever admitted being a sex predator/rapist?

[tokon]

A young mike Tyson was fire. But his heart and will was never tested. Once it was the real Mike Tyson showed up. A bully like Liston and Tyson are great when thing are going their way. Once there's a bump in the road, they fold like a lawn chair. I hope fans here knows that in a big fight heart and will are major factors in the outcome of a fight.

Great post and why holyfield did, and Frazier would have, beat him.

[Tatabanya]

Has he ever admitted being a sex predator/rapist?

In his book Undisputed Truth he tells an awful lot about his uglier side, including his insatiable sex appetite. He's brutally honest with himself.

To this day he swears he never ****d Desiree Washington. And guess what, in that particular case I do believe him.

[Tatabanya]

Great post and why holyfield did, and Frazier would have, beat him.

Always the past-prime version of Tyson, you both mean, right?

The prime version was never tested in that department, such was his superiority on the opponents. So we'll never know what would have happened.

I seriously doubt that a man who in his prime was almost knocked out by Bert Cooper, and given hell by Alex Stewart, would have beaten a prime Mike Tyson. But - again - it's just speculation.

[ShoulderRoll]

When I hear 'the peekaboo' I think of Marlon Starling.

Or am I mistaken of the technique? .....................Rockin' Rattle Snake

When I say peekaboo I refer specifically to the style developed by Cus D’Amato and used to create world champions Floyd Patterson, Jose Torres, and Mike Tyson. Or the teachings passed on by those that trained under Cus or assisted him in the gym…people like Teddy Atlas, Kevin Rooney, Tom Patti, George Young and a few others.

As far as I know Marlon Starling never trained under that lineage. I looked him up just now and it seems he was trained by Johnny Duke, who was a pro in the 1940’s and a sparring partner of Willie Pep.

[BKM-]

Always the past-prime version of Tyson, you both mean, right?

The prime version was never tested in that department, such was his superiority on the opponents. So we'll never know what would have happened.

I seriously doubt that a man who in his prime was almost knocked out by Bert Cooper, and given hell by Alex Stewart, would have beaten a prime Mike Tyson. But - again - it's just speculation.

The prime version was tested and knocked out by Douglas.

[mrbig1]

I'd say both his heart and will were tested by Ruddock,and that he passed the test.I also think that even after being beat up and floored by Douglas when he was scrambling around on the canvas half senseless, putting his mouthpiece in backwards,he was still trying to get up and continue.
Liston had his nose broken by Williams ,and his jaw broken by Marshall he continued in both fights winning the first by a ko and dropping a decision in the other.Thats two "bumps in the road," he overcame. Tyson and Liston were bullies so they will quit when the going gets tough is an easy and convenient rationale that in both cases is incorrect imo.Both exhibited," heart and will," in those fights,imo

I agree to a point. I was pointing to fact that Liston quit in his corner during the Ali fight. The 2nd fight he takes a kiss on the cheek and rolled around the canvas like he's been shot. Would Marciano or Frazier quit in the corner? Ruddock was a one arm fighter who landed a few good shots. In the Holyfield rematch Tyson wanted out of the fight so he damn near bit Evander's ear off. I've never seen a great Champion do that.

[QueensburyRules]

Cherry pickers.

- - So sayeth the Queens favorite Snail Snarfer...priceless!!!

[Tatabanya]

The prime version was tested and knocked out by Douglas.

Tyson's prime version - according to any credible boxing observer - ends with the departure of Kevin Rooney, after the Michael Spinks fight.

Already from the Frank Bruno fight in 1989, with Jay Bright and Aaron Snowell working his corner, Tyson's skills were deteriorating quite a bit. In fact, Bruno was the first one ever to put him in danger of getting knocked down, in the first round.

Lest we forget, Bright and Snowell are the ones who used a condom in lieu of the endswell in the Douglas fight. Before which - as reported in the aforementioned book, Undisputed Truth - Tyson was spending his pre-fight time having sex with the waitresses of his hotel rather than training.