Where do you rank Tyson if he had beaten Lewis?

[The Iron Man]

I'm not convinced it would have changed to much. Everyone knew Tyson was shot by the time the Lewis fight came about, he had already lost to Buster and Evander. Like the OP said he would have won via a KO which would have been against the flow of the fight. A rematch would have seen him get beaten in convincing fashion.

The question of who was the better fighter between Lewis and Tyson would be a less heated debate and he may get in the top 10 for people that don't already have him there. But it wouldn't shoot him into Ali/Louis territory.

[Scott9945]

Realistically, it probably would have moved Lewis down more than it would have moved Tyson up.

[young_robbed]

Something that Tyson lacked compared to the other ATG fighters is that singular, legendary win. Don't think you can qualify Holmes as "that win". Or Michael Spinks.

Lewis would have been that legendary, career defining, victory.

[Elroy1]

Something that Tyson lacked compared to the other ATG fighters is that singular, legendary win. Don't think you can qualify Holmes as "that win". Or Michael Spinks.

Lewis would have been that legendary, career defining, victory.

So who would you claim was Joe Louis's "legendary, defining win"?

Max Schmelling? Primo Carnera?

Don't you think Spinks and say Golota were better wins than either of these 2 guys?

I think you underrate Tyson's ACTUAL level of opposition.

Tyson fought very bummy opposition for his first 20 fights or so but from the time he challenged Trevor Berbick for the first HW title, the man was definitely NOT fighting bums.

I suppose you'll comment that he never had a hard fought fight against a decent opponent which characterised him like Ali vs Frazier or something like that.

Except Tyson did have 2 wars with one guy named Donovan Ruddock which more than exceeded it if you ask me.

ATG lock in old Mike!

[embryo]

Tyson is great no matter what.

[MrRolltide91]

top 10 ATG and top 3 HW

[Weltschmerz]

If he had beaten Holyfield in the rematch and knocked out Lennox, I would put him in top 15 as an all time heavy.

As it turned out, I would rank him in top 25, his greatest feat being the youngest heavyweight champ of all time, his influence on the sport, and his fighting style with lots of knockout wins.

[joeandthebums]

his greatest feat being the youngest heavyweight champ of all time

Does Floyd Patterson still not hold this record?

[Scott9945]

Does Floyd Patterson still not hold this record?

Patterson was the youngest to hold the undisputed lineal title. But Tyson was younger when he beat Berbick.

[Sugar Adam Ali]

Realistically, it probably would have moved Lewis down more than it would have moved Tyson up.

Good point, but i do think it would have moved up tyson a little bit.. Anytime some guy that is thought of as "done" wins a big fight, it usually helps their legacy..
leonard-hagler
duran-barkley
holyfield-tyson


But i do think it would harm lennox more than helps mike