1 Billion: Is there a case of Tyson being a top 5 heavyweight? not in my opinion

[kendom]

Just as Barnburner said, in a prime head to head matchup Tyson is a scary prospect for anyone in history.

His legacy and record is not as good as the likes of Ali, Louis, Foreman, Marciano, Holmes, Dempsey, Holyfield or Lewis but that doesn't mean that he wouldn't beat several of them on his night.

I'm not one who buys into the theory that in his prime he couldn't come back from behind to win. He was a good league ahead of the opposition in his prime which was not really his fault, but he showed enough heart against the likes of Bruno, Ruddock and indeed Buster Douglas (who he came close to knocking out when well behind on the cards) to convince me that he could have come from behind to win if he was tested.

His 'legacy' fights against Holyfield and Lewis did come too late, not their fault of course.

I think history will be fairly kind to Mike, I could see him in many peoples top ten for a while yet.

The point is he might have showed heart- but he never came back from behind to win and how can we give him an attribute that he never showed in his career? there are stories by Teddy Atlas that in the amateurs Tyson was destroying a guy but the guy was refusing to quit and Tyson almost quit

[StarshipTrooper]

I looked at the voters in the poll it puts you under the option that you disagree? do you think there could be a case?

No, I don't think a case can be made for it. But the way the question is phrased it sounds like we're agreeing or disagreeing with the "not in my opinion" part.

Poet

[kendom]

No, I don't think a case can be made for it. But the way the question is phrased it sounds like we're agreeing or disagreeing with the "not in my opinion" part.

Poet

Sorry i made the poll question different to title of the thread

[StarshipTrooper]

Sorry i made the poll question different to title of the thread

Bad thing is with my eyes I can barely read the actual question on the poll :hahahaha9:

Poet

[Forza]

The point is he might have showed heart- but he never came back from behind to win and how can we give him an attribute that he never showed in his career? there are stories by Teddy Atlas that in the amateurs Tyson was destroying a guy but the guy was refusing to quit and Tyson almost quit

Yes. Tyson dropped this big irish guy like 4 or 5 times, but the irish guy kept getting up. By round 2 tyson came back to the corner and told teddy he can't do this. teddy screamed at him and pushed him back into the ring, screaming " don't you ****ing quit! Don't even think about it! You said you wanted to be a fighter now show me! "

Tyson then finally knocked him out. Then crying he thanked atlas. It was a close call.

I have tyson roughly at #13 for ATG HW

[kendom]

Yes. Tyson dropped this big irish guy like 4 or 5 times, but the irish guy kept getting up. By round 2 tyson came back to the corner and told teddy he can't do this. teddy screamed at him and pushed him back into the ring, screaming " don't you ****ing quit! Don't even think about it! You said you wanted to be a fighter now show me! "

Tyson then finally knocked him out. Then crying he thanked atlas. It was a close call.

I have tyson roughly at #13 for ATG HW

Thank You a lot of people try to say "Oh in his prime he didnt have those problems" the fact is he always had those problems its just that in his prime he never faced anyone who would allow him to show it. People say that in his fight with Holyfield he was past it. Well so was Holyfield, who was 34. But he was still a top ten heavyweight in my opinion.

[chiguy91]

Thank You a lot of people try to say "Oh in his prime he didnt have those problems" the fact is he always had those problems its just that in his prime he never faced anyone who would allow him to show it. People say that in his fight with Holyfield he was past it. Well so was Holyfield, who was 34. But he was still a top ten heavyweight in my opinion.

yeah, in his espn's behind the glory documentary (i think) it showed him crying cause he was nervous and atlas comforted him. tyson is in my top 5 favorite HWs of all time, but realistically, he doesn't cut to be top 5 as far as entire careers go..

[Check_hooks]

Joe Louis
Muhammad Ali
Larry Holmes
Lennox Lewis
Vitali

Thats 5 right there.

[StarshipTrooper]

Joe Louis
Muhammad Ali
Larry Holmes
Lennox Lewis
Vitali

Thats 5 right there.

Vitali doesn't belong in the top-10 let alone the top-5 :rolleyes9:

Poet

[Toney616]

Joe Louis
Muhammad Ali
Larry Holmes
Lennox Lewis
Vitali

Thats 5 right there.

Im interested in how you managed to put him at 5