Where Does Mike Tyson Rank As An ATG?

[Elroy1]

Top 10 for me both H2H and achievement easily.

Top 50 lb for lb, yah I can certainly see where your coming from

Lb for lb Tyson beats every HW when prime with the big question mark of maybe Holyfield but Holyfield has a completely manufactured HW career through drugs so the line is blurred.

[Nathalie1]

I find it so interesting that people would discount Mike Tyson as one of the all-time greatest boxers. Yes he did not have the amazing run of skilled opponents that an Ali had, but that should not necessarily discount him as being one of the best. I think that power, accuracy, and marketing wise, he is one of the best ever.

[RAV3N]

I find it so interesting that people would discount Mike Tyson as one of the all-time greatest boxers. Yes he did not have the amazing run of skilled opponents that an Ali had, but that should not necessarily discount him as being one of the best. I think that power, accuracy, and marketing wise, he is one of the best ever.

ATG status is dependent on your resume and Tyson's isnt good at all.

You can come up with all the fantasy stuff that you want, if they didnt do it in the ring then it doesnt mean ish.

[billeau2]

Sweet holy **** are you for real or just that crazy??? ..... And please name your 'at least 20 fighters off the top of my head' that had more meteoric rises than becoming the youngest heavyweight champion of all time after just over a year and a half as a pro. Dude your anti Tyson bias is wild ... you related to Desiree Washington or something??

Tyson always was a polarizing figure. In this world when we look at the work of a man, we always want to compare it more accurately, but alas we are left with what we are left with. Most boxing people think Tyson was the package...but his resume does indeed diminish when compared to ATG's. We can argue it til the cows come home...thats what we are left with

[jack p]

[. We can argue it til the cows come home...thats what we are left with[/QUOTE]


I like tyson he came along at a time when boxing needed him..and boxing needed him in the 80s...Holmes in spite of being a badass didn't get the non-fans interested at least not like Ali did..Boxing needed the shot in the arm
at that time...Unfortunately Mikes biggest flaw wasn't his physical attributes
prime Tyson walk over any poster here..But his mind..Not saying he's weak..Whether genetic ,bio-chemical imbalance or early childhood environment..Mike the baddest man on the planet Mike..
At one time he was
Was only that way when kept busy ....all his decisions made for him..
When I think of listing ATG heavys linearly from Dempsey..i think
Dempsey.Louis,Marchiano,Liston ,Ali.Frazier,Foreman,Holmes,Tyson,Holyfield,Lewis. .
A trainer can only do so much... a fighter has to figure out on his own
certain things that can't be taught only learned by oneself...Tyson didn't handle being pressured like he thought he could after he beat Spinks and said he can't be knocked out simply because he refuses to be knocked out..He did more for Boxing then any poster here to my knowledge
he is an ATG

[billeau2]

When people have personal recollection it is both frustrating and a source of great insight. Many people who watched the great heavies think of Dempsey and Tyson as a special line. I well remember how dominant Tyson was at his best, for a while it looked like nobody would even touch him, much less beat him. In truth Lewis never had that patina of invincability...again to many Dempsey and Tyson are in a class by themselves as far as that quality.

[Weltschmerz]

Heavyweight ATG, somewhere in top 20.

[Panamaniac]

Not an ATG, no way, he QUIT against Evander so he wouldn't get KO'ed!!!
What ATG QUITS in a Title fight!! I'm so sick of these Tyson fans who think he's a great fight, he fought great against terrible competition his first 20 fights were against "hand picked" guys who couldn't break an egg!
Could he fight great....................Yes! When the stakes were highest against solid men he got beat and/or QUIT!

The style he was taught was extremely hard to maintain as he got older its a style that dictates flexability and stamina and Mike was NOT a disciplined fighter by the time he got to Evander thats how Evander walked him. Push the "bully" back and see what happens....................he QUIT!

Its in file for every Tyson FAN to see he bite Evander to get out of the fight theres no other reason. Every fighter knows its an automatic DQ for biting!!

You saw and OLD Joe Louis try hard against Rocky and get beaten bad but he didn't QUIT!
Who ever said that Max was passed his prime when he defeated Joe doesn't know history! Max is one of the best heavies to lace them up and was technically sound even out of his prime. Joe Louis does NOT have a weak chin anyone who thinks that or says that is a FOOL!

I have Tyson on the Maybe ATG great list in front of George the Animal Steele and in back of "Nature Boy" Buddy Rogers!! HA!! right where he belongs! Ray

Your argument falls flat on it's face right out of the gate. Duran quit on Leonard and no sane person would deny he's an ATG because of it.

[jack p]

When people have personal recollection it is both frustrating and a source of great insight. Many people who watched the great heavies think of Dempsey and Tyson as a special line. I well remember how dominant Tyson was at his best, for a while it looked like nobody would even touch him, much less beat him. In truth Lewis never had that patina of invincability...again to many Dempsey and Tyson are in a class by themselves as far as that quality.

I agree and personally i don't put Lewis in the ATG pantheon like the ones before him i just threw that in their for naysayers..When Lewis was best heavyweight around he wasn't dominate in my mind that Tyson was dominate in my mind when Tyson was best Heavyweight...When Tyson fought Spinks i remember thinking that in 20 years i will look back at Tyson as perhaps the greatest ever

Times Change

[New England]

No, just no. HW is eye catching for sure, but no weight class 'matters' more or less than any other, that is just disrespectful to any fighter who is not a HW.

I guess John Ruiz was more important to boxing than Charley Burley, or Harry Greb, Henry Armstrong, etc.?

i disagree with this. the tiny divisions rarely have great talent. if you're talented, you can fight above 105 lbs.


there are very few bonafide greats of that size. their competition just isn't that good. there's not much talent that can fight at 105, 108, 112 lbs, and stay there for an entire career. you have to be jockey sized. athletic dudes of that size are freaking rare.