If Mike didn't go to jail in 1992 what changes in his career?

[HOUDINI563]

Fury looks agile because he is fighting opponents who can’t fight such as Wilder or walking statues such as Wlad. Fury is a lumbering oaf of a heavyweight. It’s a testament to the dumbing down of boxing fans who believe he is anything to cheer about. I openly laugh at his amateur level abilities while at the same time shake my head at what this once fine sport has become.

[ShoulderRoll]

Fury looks agile because he is fighting opponents who can’t fight such as Wilder or walking statues such as Wlad. Fury is a lumbering oaf of a heavyweight. It’s a testament to the dumbing down of boxing fans who believe he is anything to cheer about. I openly laugh at his amateur level abilities while at the same time shake my head at what this once fine sport has become.

Sure, his skillset looks pedestrian next to that of, say, Gene Tunney.

But you didn't answer my question, though.

In heavyweight history has there ever been a man that large that can move like that? Have we ever seen that particular combination of attributes before?

[The plunger man]

I disagree. He had all the makings of an unstoppable force, but lost his way after Cus died and became his own worst enemy. Boxing takes as much mental and emotional strength as it does physical skill and ability.

You can make an argument that a boxer like Holyfield would beat him regardless because he had his number. We also know that Evander was juiced to the gills. Bowe didnt want any part of prime Mike, and Lewis didnt seem all that anxious to get in with him either, especially after Tyson made easy work of Tyrell Biggs, who beat Lewis in Olympics.

you don’t know what your talking about dempsey.....Tyson was comprehensively beaten by Douglas in almost every round....he was pretty much exposed right there and there was no way back for him....as for Lewis and Biggs ..Lewis was 18 when he faced Biggs who was probably at the very top in the amateurs .....I see that you also forgot to mention that Henry Tillman beat Tyson as an amateur and knocked him out of the USA trials for the olympics...Lewis made easy work of ruddock who gave Tyson hell and he also had a tough fight with tucker who Lewis beat easy.
stop making stuff up ....if Tyson never lost to Tillman he to would have had a longer amateur career and quite possibly Lewis and him would have met in 1992 or so......Tyson gave up his title rather than face Lewis and paid him 4 million step aside money.
I like Mike Tyson but the bottom line is as soon as he faced of with another A+ fighter he got beat because his style was limited

[GhostofDempsey]

you don’t know what your talking about dempsey.....Tyson was comprehensively beaten by Douglas in almost every round....he was pretty much exposed right there and there was no way back for him....as for Lewis and Biggs ..Lewis was 18 when he faced Biggs who was probably at the very top in the amateurs .....I see that you also forgot to mention that Henry Tillman beat Tyson as an amateur and knocked him out of the USA trials for the olympics...Lewis made easy work of ruddock who gave Tyson hell and he also had a tough fight with tucker who Lewis beat easy.
stop making stuff up ....if Tyson never lost to Tillman he to would have had a longer amateur career and quite possibly Lewis and him would have met in 1992 or so......Tyson gave up his title rather than face Lewis and paid him 4 million step aside money.
I like Mike Tyson but the bottom line is as soon as he faced of with another A+ fighter he got beat because his style was limited

Making stuff up? I stated facts as they played out. Another fact is that Douglas was timed as being down for as long as 13.65 seconds in the 8th round and should have been counted out.

Lewis hid out in the amateurs for four more years while Tyson was ripping through the division. I take nothing away from Lewis, he was a great champion, but he caught Mike on his way out.

[The plunger man]

Making stuff up? I stated facts as they played out. Another fact is that Douglas was timed as being down for as long as 13.65 seconds in the 8th round and should have been counted out.

Lewis hid out in the amateurs for four more years while Tyson was ripping through the division. I take nothing away from Lewis, he was a great champion, but he caught Mike on his way out.

Tyson would never have beaten Lewis period.....Tyson failed to make the olympics and was only pushed into pro heavies because he never made the qualifiers in the USA ...secondly it was the timekeepers fault on the long count not Douglas and if you actually watch the knockdown Douglas was ready to rise at any time and was watching the refs count and rose accordingly ......Douglas battered Tyson from post to post and was thoroughly vanquished in that fight even with that knockdown and even when he rose he took command once again.
all great champions have an amateur pedigree and the greatest in history want to win an Olympic title so your argument falls flat right there...Tyson was ok knocking cans over but as soon as he stepped up the quality he started to struggle ......tucker , ruddock , bonecrusher , fighters that were physically imposing and could tie him up....he became predictable , limited and unable to adapt.
douglas showed just how to beat Tyson and the bottom line is as soon as Tyson boxed an A+ fighter he lost and that’s a fact and Lewis resume pisses all over tysons and that’s another fact.

[JAB5239]

Making stuff up? I stated facts as they played out. Another fact is that Douglas was timed as being down for as long as 13.65 seconds in the 8th round and should have been counted out.

Lewis hid out in the amateurs for four more years while Tyson was ripping through the division. I take nothing away from Lewis, he was a great champion, but he caught Mike on his way out.

The count is the referees alone as far as I know. That said, Douglas was in far better shape when he got up and both had the same exact count. A fighter can only go by the refs count.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/archi...-454d651c3b08/

https://********/gHcbFUTIslI

[Willie Pep 229]

The count is the referees alone as far as I know. That said, Douglas was in far better shape when he got up and both had the same exact count. A fighter can only go by the refs count.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/archi...-454d651c3b08/

https://********/gHcbFUTIslI

I agree with you, both fighters got the same count - there is a video that confirms that. In the past we have also agreed that he fighters rose from the canvas in a very different state of mind.

But I disagree with one of the comments in the article you posted. It is correct that the fighter must depend on the refs count no other way is fair (see Ali-Liston II) - but the statement by the New Jersey commission type guy is incorrect. The MQB rules ( I believe) state "ten second" not a ten count.

I need to look and see how Nevada states it.

[JAB5239]

I agree with you, both fighters got the same count - there is a video that confirms that. In the past we have also agreed that he fighters rose from the canvas in a very different state of mind.

But I disagree with one of the comments in the article you posted. It is correct that the fighter must depend on the refs count no other way is fair (see Ali-Liston II) - but the statement by the New Jersey commission type guy is incorrect. The MQB rules ( I believe) state "ten second" not a ten count.

I need to look and see how Nevada states it.

As far as the MOQ rules go, it also says a man has 10 seconds to return to the scratch. This has been outdated for quite some time. I think, and I may be wrong, that MOQ is a guideline more than an actual set of rules today and either the governing body or state athletic commission set the final rules. Either way I'm on the train that says a fighter has to follow the refs count. I think it's to much to ask any man to know a 10 second count on his own after just getting dropped. Just my opinion though.

[GhostofDempsey]

Tyson would never have beaten Lewis period.....Tyson failed to make the olympics and was only pushed into pro heavies because he never made the qualifiers in the USA ...secondly it was the timekeepers fault on the long count not Douglas and if you actually watch the knockdown Douglas was ready to rise at any time and was watching the refs count and rose accordingly ......Douglas battered Tyson from post to post and was thoroughly vanquished in that fight even with that knockdown and even when he rose he took command once again.
all great champions have an amateur pedigree and the greatest in history want to win an Olympic title so your argument falls flat right there...Tyson was ok knocking cans over but as soon as he stepped up the quality he started to struggle ......tucker , ruddock , bonecrusher , fighters that were physically imposing and could tie him up....he became predictable , limited and unable to adapt.
douglas showed just how to beat Tyson and the bottom line is as soon as Tyson boxed an A+ fighter he lost and that’s a fact and Lewis resume pisses all over tysons and that’s another fact.

Tyson’s loss to Douglas was more mental than physical. He chose to turn pro early because he could make huge sums of money, which he did. In his career he earned about $700M. You can’t dismiss his win over Spinks, who was a bonafide HW by the time they fought and one of the greatest LHWs to ever step in the ring. Tyson gave up 3” in height and only weighed 6 pounds more.

Lewis had a distinct size advantage over most of his opponents, Tyson did not. Lewis could have turned pro at the same time but chose not to, and no one wanted anything to do with prime Mike. He easily beat an undefeated Olympic gold medalist who stood 6’5” and also beat Lewis in Olympics.

[The Old LefHook]

To answer the OP's question directly: He loses the excuses that still allow him to hang around the top 15 heavyweights of all time.