Tyson, Ali and Foreman are the only truly great heavyweights of the last 50 years.

[StarshipTrooper]

Wlad is more dominant than Tyson ever was. Thats just a fact. Right now Wlad Klitschko is the most dominant HW in the last 50 years. Doesnt lose rounds, KO's almost all of his opponents, never in trouble defends against top 10 guys, fights 3x a year and will fight anyone.

Contenders 20-30 of the 1960s and 1970s > Top 10 Contenders of the 2000s.

Poet

[SBleeder]

Holmes Holyfield and Lewis were all better fighters then Mike Tyson.

Much better fighters, both skill-wise and resume-wise.

[Tyson.]

Holmes Holyfield and Lewis were all better fighters then Mike Tyson.

Rubbish.

Holyfield had a better headbutt thats about it. He has consistency problems for every good win theres a loss to go with it. Holmes is famous for beating an Ali with parkinsons. He got gift decisons vs witherspoon and Norton, almost KOed by Shavers his resume is inflated. Lewis who got KOed by Mccall and Rahman, enough said.

Tyson was destroying all the top fighters out there. Doing things that couldnt be done. Thats why hes up there with Ali and Foreman over the past 50 years.

[Toney616]

Holyfield had a better headbutt thats about it.

Holyfield definitely became a dirty fighter post Bowe II, but Tyson lost his right to complain about fouls, especially after the his second fight with Ruddock. Also Holyfield would of beaten any version of post prison Tyson, without the headbutts imo

He has consistency problems for every good win theres a loss to go with it.

That is a good point, if you look at just his hw fights, his ended up losing about a quarter of them

Holmes is famous for beating an Ali with parkinsons. He got gift decisons vs witherspoon and Norton, almost KOed by Shavers his resume is inflated.

Havent seen Holmes-Norton, so I cant comment on that fight, but I also did have Withwerspoon winning that fight as well. Holmes fought in a ok era that was missing other great fighters, which isnt really his fault.

Lewis who got KOed by Mccall and Rahman, enough said.

Not sure what to say on that

Tyson was destroying all the top fighters out there. Doing things that couldnt be done. Thats why hes up there with Ali and Foreman over the past 50 years.

I disagree, like Ali he transended the sport, but his self destructive traits are what derailed his career

[SBleeder]

Tyson was destroying all the top fighters out there. Doing things that couldnt be done. Thats why hes up there with Ali and Foreman over the past 50 years.

Tyson never really destroyed any top fighter in their prime, and never really overcame any adversity.

And youre basing this on what? The fact that that Sanders and Brewster's records were much better than the average Ali opponent, or the fact that the records of their opponents were much better thant he records of ali's opponents opponents. I mean what are you basing this on. Ali never fought someone as big AND as tall as Sanders. Sanders had quick hands and a huge left. He would have destroyed a Bob Foster. Hes like Chuck Wepner on hardcore roids.

Why not debate with some facts and not just pure opinion, also Im talking about right now. Not fights 8 years ago

I'm basing it on the fact that Wlad lost to fighters with, at best, a quarter of the athleticism of the men Ali fought and beat. Records mean nothing when talking about two different eras; it's clear you've never truly watched the caliber of fighter that Ali competed against, otherwise you wouldn't even make a trollish attempt to compare Wlad to fighters back then.

[Dead Ringer]

Holmes was champion for a very long time. He's easily one of the top 5 best heavyweights ever, so he's a "truly great" fighter as well. His competition may have been limited, but that was also the case with Joe Louis. Klitschko is no different, except his opponents are even worse. Fighting and beating the best is arguably the most important criterion when measuring legacy, but when you beat everyone who is put in front of you, there's nothing else you can really do. Klitschko got KO'd by three idiots but that's excusable because he easily redeemed those losses.

[bobfoster]

is it just me or did lewis kick tysons ass

[StarshipTrooper]

Holmes was champion for a very long time. He's easily one of the top 5 best heavyweights ever, so he's a "truly great" fighter as well. His competition may have been limited, but that was also the case with Joe Louis. Klitschko is no different, except his opponents are even worse. Fighting and beating the best is arguably the most important criterion when measuring legacy, but when you beat everyone who is put in front of you, there's nothing else you can really do. Klitschko got KO'd by three idiots but that's excusable because he easily redeemed those losses.

And Tyson's opposition was no better than Holmes'. The truth is there have really been only two great eras in Heavyweight history: The mid-1960s through mid-1970s; and the 1990s. Most of the other eras lacked depth. The mid-1970s through the 1980s were subpar for Heavyweights much like the 1950s through mid-1960s were. The problem is that the past 10 years have been so truly aweful for Heavyweights that the 1980s are starting to seriously look good in comparison.

Poet

[Sugarj]

is it just me or did lewis kick tysons ass

Yes, when Tyson was 14 years past his very best! Even then, Tyson took the first round. He would have surely done much more than that in 1988.

[them_apples]

Ringside observers had Ali winning the fight.

And Ali wasnt prime, he was clearly not the same fighter and had stamina issues the fact he went onto do all that while past prime is why he is the GOAT. Frazier never won a fight against Ali he received a gift decison in the first thats it. Lets not forget that Ali is a perfect style matchup for him, what did he do when forced out of his comfort zone against Foreman? he got destroyed.

you have to be kidding me. I've watched that fight enough times to know Frazier won.