Did Tyson sort of avenge Ali?

[BKM-2010]

I watched a documentary and it showed Ali going towards Tyson telling him to beat up Trevor Berbick, and Tyson himself talks about how Berbick beat up and insulted Ali not too long before that. It's like that was an extra motivation for Mike to destroy Berbick.

A couple of years after that Tyson put a very bad beating on another man that badly beat a shadow of Ali. I don't know it just seems like Tyson respected Ali so much that he wanted to put the hurt on Berbick and Holmes for what they had done to him before.

Maybe some of you have some extra info on this. I am also trying to find stuff on Berbick, some have said that he showed no respect to Muhammad Ali after he beat him. Is this true?

[CarlosG815]

I watched a documentary and it showed Ali going towards Tyson telling him to beat up Trevor Berbick, and Tyson himself talks about how Berbick beat up and insulted Ali not too long before that. It's like that was an extra motivation for Mike to destroy Berbick.

A couple of years after that Tyson put a very bad beating on another man that badly beat a shadow of Ali. I don't know it just seems like Tyson respected Ali so much that he wanted to put the hurt on Berbick and Holmes for what they had done to him before.

Maybe some of you have some extra info on this. I am also trying to find stuff on Berbick, some have said that he showed no respect to Muhammad Ali after he beat him. Is this true?

Berbick went after Ali as if Ali was still in his prime.

Holmes showed compassion and I even heard stories of Holmes crying at Ali's bedside telling Ali not to fight anymore, and telling him "If you need money, I'll give you money, Champ..."

Not sure if that is true or not.

[Sugarj]

Berbick went after Ali as if Ali was still in his prime.

Holmes showed compassion and I even heard stories of Holmes crying at Ali's bedside telling Ali not to fight anymore, and telling him "If you need money, I'll give you money, Champ..."

Not sure if that is true or not.

I dont believe Holmes was crying, but I have heard that Holmes went to Ali's bedside after beating him and offered him money if Ali needed it.

As for Berbick, we all know that Ali was hopelessly post prime, obviously suffering from the early signs of Parkinsons Syndrome. Ali wasn't terrible in the Berbick fight, he did win rounds......unlike in the Holmes fight, but he was obviously not was he was even three years previously.

Tyson was clearly brought up to respect Ali by Cus D'Amato. I dont doubt that Mike would have annihilated Berbick whatever Ali said to him.......but it was a nice touch. Nobody destroyed Berbick like Tyson did!

[StarshipTrooper]

Berbick went after Ali as if Ali was still in his prime.

Holmes showed compassion and I even heard stories of Holmes crying at Ali's bedside telling Ali not to fight anymore, and telling him "If you need money, I'll give you money, Champ..."

Not sure if that is true or not.

Tyson had respect for Holmes, he didn't have any for Berbick.....why should he have? Berbick was a classless POS and a joke of a fighter. Tyson did the boxing world a favor by ripping that undeserved belt off of Berbick's pulverised carcass.

Poet

[young_robbed]

Believe it or not I had Ali winning a close decision over Berbick...

I tend to take Ali's jabs and right leads over Berbick's wild body shots.

But yeah, he did "avenge" Ali, even though Ali was terribly shot vs Berbick and Holmes

[CarlosG815]

Believe it or not I had Ali winning a close decision over Berbick...

I tend to take Ali's jabs and right leads over Berbick's wild body shots.

But yeah, he did "avenge" Ali, even though Ali was terribly shot vs Berbick and Holmes

It's sad that those fights even took place. Ali had slurred speech and relaxed reflexes, all signs that he was punchy. Had he not taken those last beatings late in his career, perhaps he wouldn't be so bad off today.

At the time he fought Holmes, he could not speak a sentence without slurring or running his words together and speaking slowly.

[CarlosG815]

50 seconds in.... Looks like somebody who retired long ago and is punchy, yet this is a guy preparing for a fight.

[Scott9945]

Honestly, it would seem that being the youngest heavyweight champion ever would be all the motivation for Tyson to beat Berbick. To add in the revenge factor seems like a reach to me.

[Barn]

Before the Holmes fight did Ali not say.
"Get him good for me."

[Kid McCoy]

Tyson had respect for Holmes, he didn't have any for Berbick.....why should he have? Berbick was a classless POS and a joke of a fighter. Tyson did the boxing world a favor by ripping that undeserved belt off of Berbick's pulverised carcass.

Poet

I share your dislike of Berbick on a personal level. He was a strange, sometimes menacing guy with a history of violence against women and I don't know of many who had much good to say about him. I disagree about him being a joke of a fighter though. He was freakishly strong, durable, had a very awkward style and had some good wins in his career. Thomas and Page were both undefeated and highly regarded when he beat them as an underdog and he was competitive against a prime Holmes. Afterwards, Holmes commended him as the strongest man he'd fought. No one's putting him in the Hall of Fame but he wasn't that bad.