Will There Ever Be Another Fighter As Popular As Mike Tyson?

[*AKO PA HA!]

ali is more popular than tyson.

[SquareCircle]

Well, no, there will never be another Mike Tyson. I'm sure there will be another fighter that surpasses his popularity, but time is the only answer to the question. When Dempsey and Marciano came about, I'm sure people asked that same question. Then came Tyson.

I completely agree though, Tyson, like Howard Stern, brought an element of 'Love him or hate him, you'll watch'...People who love him, watch him...People who hated him, watched him. Combine in this his fearsome presence and exciting style, and don't forget how young he was.

He really made it big. Sure, De La Hoya and Sugar Ray Leonard may have commercials and some Boxers may become actors such as Benny Leonard, but....Tyson was having great video games by the best system on the market, made after him. Larry King did an exclusive interview with him before he fought McNeely. In any country, if you say Tyson in their language, they'll know what you're talking about. When you watched him fight back then, immediately the first thing that came to your mind was, "It would be a ***** to step into the ring with that guy." I remember as a kid imagining what it would be like to get into the ring with a guy like that. Just take you out with a single shot, lightning quick, the moment you **** up.

He's done many things in and out of the ring that made the sport look bad. But without Mike Tyson boxing wouldn't be as big as it is. He gave Boxing a much needed boost. So, for that I highly respect him. He did duck an old George Foreman, while he was in his prime, though.

[Dorian]

meh... tyson...

too bad there will never be another roy jones

[brian99]

Yea there will be an "invincible" beast of a heavyweight champ who crushes all comers again. There was liston, then foreman, then tyson, so it would make sense that someone will surface soon enough.

At the same time though, no one has had the mystique of being the baddest man alive quite like tyson. This is why tyson was bigger than ali. Regardless of how many espn classic fights ali has, tyson is just a much more exciting fighter and a more interesting person.

[jack_the_rippuh]

He's still f**king cool in my eyes.

[Dudeman1056]

No more convincing is one-time cruiserweight beltholder Kelvin Davis. Davis is so enamored of the Tyson mystique that for years now he has done his best to ape Tyson's style and look, even going so far as to have his face tattooed, as Tyson did before his win over Cliff Etienne. He fights in the same do-or-die style, but lacks Tyson's speed and explosiveness, a failing that has resulted in losses to most of the division's better names and several lesser ones, too.

It was hoped for some time that another big, strong heavyweight, Sam Peter, would be the next Tyson. He seemed to have some of the tools: size, obvious physical strength, a fearsome reputation as a puncher, and a certain ring presence that intimidated opponents. Indeed, none other than Wladimir Klitschko, the consensus best heavyweight in the world, appeared so anxious during his win over Peter that every time Peter brushed against him Klitschko flopped to the canvas.

Fortunately for Klitschko, he won every second of their match that didn't feature an eight-count, and that, for the most part, suspended any discussion around Peter's potential as the next Tyson. Troubles later against James Toney, a blown up middleweight, answered the question definitively and even if Peter ends up with an alphabet title or two, his suitability as the next Tyson has been repudiated. You get the sense we have seen of him all there is to see, while Tyson supplied endless small surprises.

"Mike was deceiving," recalled Brooks. "I came in under the impression that I'd have to teach him everything. But Mike knew what he was doing. He'd set traps. He was smarter inside the ring, and outside, too, than people gave him credit for. He was a salesman -- selling himself. He knew asses in seats means more money."

We'll learn eventually the hard way that there never will be another Tyson. Regardless of where you place him among the sport's great fighters (if you place him among them at all) he occupied a unique place in popular culture during his time at the top and single-handedly brought to a close a particularly moribund era in heavyweight boxing. At the same time he transcended the sport like few others have done in recent times.

Will we ever find the next Tyson? No. But sooner or later someone will come along who is different, and just close enough. He always does. "
http://www.hbo.com/boxing/features/u...ext_tyson.html

Kelvin Davis had the face tattoo first.heres the article to prove it: http://www.koncreteboxing.com/tattoo.html

[McNulty]

there will never be another tyson........................untill i go pro lol

Funny...I like it.

One of the biggest reasons there will never be another Tyson is cuz theres no guys like D'Amato out there that exsit, or would take in a kid like Mike.

The good trainers are dying...the old ways will be lost. Not 100% lost....just lost in translation.

For those of you that box:
How close are ya'll w/your trainers? Not like chillin like a family, but spiritually?

Thats the secret ingredient...the guys that knew the art had great insight and pushed you hard. You could identify it and it meant alot to you...changed you. Out of all sport, IMO boxing teaches you LIFE LESSONS. Wait for the bag to be in the middle [patience], dont hit a man while hes down [do i really need to explain that one], dont git angry [cuz you'll fack your breathing up and tighten up]...never quit [very lost notion]...it goes on and on.

These young trainers dont have the right juice more so than they do. Not saying boxing is devoid of this...but its gone down tremendously.

Just my take...

[realheavyhands]

tyson is the most well known man in the world

[kayjay]

There will be bigger and better than Tyson, but it won't be like that. No one can say what there will be. No one could have guessed a half black, half Asian kid who plays golf would become the most popular athlete in the world. The next great boxer might be someone just as unlikely, like a tall Ukranian with a PhD (I'm not saying the one we got is the man, but I'm giving an example of something that couldn't have been guessed). But it can only happen if there's a public who will accept it.

[McNulty]

But it can only happen if there's a public who will accept it.

Trust me...if they build it, they will come. No ifs about it imo. People are salivating for it.