Mike Tyson Training Highlights, simply amazing display of ability

[Benny Leonard]

I'm not fully convinced that his era he fought in was any good. Like, I still think that if he was in the ring with someone like lewis/holyfield in the 1980's in his so called "prime", I still think he would lose.

It was kind of weak, especially if you consider who Ali was fighting. Not saying Mike couldn't beat who Ali beat, but that was a tough era. Both Ali and Foreman would of given Mike a hell of a fight, if not beat him, although they have their weaknesses as well.


Spinks was his greatest victory on paper, but Mike even said he thought nothing of it. Spinks was a great accomplishment considering Spinks was one of the best LH of all time and had beaten Larry Holmes (although some say different). Spinks was undefeated, never been knocked out or knocked down going into the fight with Mike.



You do have to give him a bit of credit for being the only man to knock Larry Homes out (even though Larry was past it), something nobody else did, including Holyfield and Mercer years later. If that was a "Prime" Larry Holmes, Mike would have had a lot more trouble, but I guess I will have to go off of what Atlas said, that Larry could be timed and hit with the right hand, something Mike did well at that point. Shavers landed, why not Mike.


Mike was scheduled to fight Holyfield after a 5 fight European tour according to Kevin Rooney. Things went downhill, Mike got rid of Cayton and Rooney, and the fights did not come off, so it is not like Mike was avoiding Evander.


With Holyfield back then: it would of been a good fight, but I think Tyson could beat him. With Rooney, Mike would of kept going to the body, using combinations, head-movement, etc., something he did not do much at all in his fights with Holy; although Holy was past it as well. He was also poorly conditioned after prison, not to mention even before with Douglas.

We saw that Mike could hurt Evander to the body and we have seen Holyfield hurt before, so it is not like he cannot be beat either. He also had a very tough fight with Dokes; I think Mike would have been harder. Evander has a 32 inch waist, more of a LH/CW measurement than a HW. What does this mean, well if it is a measurement from a fighter that is in good condition, it means his frame is smaller and might not take the same amount as punishment as someone with a bigger frame, although I could be wrong.

For Lewis: Lewis had his flaws as well, especially prior to being trained by Emanuel. We saw Bruno pressure Lewis and Lennox was having trouble, up until he caught Bruno with a bomb of a shot. I am not even sure anybody attacked Lewis's body like Mike could have done. Bigger guys can also be thrown off balance, something Mike be able to do.
Lewis's main weapons were his jab, UPPERCUT, and right hand. I think Mike could get under his jab and hit Lewis with something awful, but he would have to be worried about Lewis's uppercut.

Either opponent could beat Mike, but Mike could beat them as well, Peak vs. Peak. That's just my opinion.

Toughest battle for Mike all time I tend to lean towards Foreamn; that man was a beast, with the style, power, heart, and chin to give Mike hell.

[Benny Leonard]

im not dis*****g your point just dis*****g that he was unstopable

Yes, and I agree with you.

He burnt out to quickly to know for sure. His burning out was more from tragedy outside the ring, not inside, so I don't hold it to harshly against him based on what happened.

It's kind of like Rocky Marciano: Marciano was tested, but not tested against "Prime/Elite" fighters, just like Mike. Although Spinks might/should be considered a better opponent considering he was younger and undefeated than Charles, Moore, and Walcott, all of which were much older, had been knocked out and defeated prior. That is if we count Rocky as a HW, not a LH/CW since if we are honest, despite Spinks being a HW Champion, he was a LH Champion prior (even though he was more of the size of a modern-cruiserweight)

[guzi815]

two judges score it 6-4 thats close to a draw, point is (if you didnt get it) that if tyson fights so close with a journeyman he wasnt unstopable in the 80s as some say.

I see your point brother. But "thee" first to ever "STOP" Mike Tyson was Buster Douglas in Japan of 1987, when he shocked the world by KOing Tyson in the 8th round.

All an all, no one can ever deny that Tyson was a beast, and the most feared fighter on the planet. Few could match his skills at the tender age of 20 when he became "thee" youngest ever to hold the Heavy Weight Championship. That feat alone will cast him ballots straight into The International Boxing Hall of Fame. Behavior and media attention outside the ring will be irrelavent. Remember that tyson held ALL the major titles, each won seperately, one by one, Trevor (RIP) WBC, James "Bone Crusher" Smith, WBA, Michael Spinks (was undefeated!) IBF. No one was ever UNDISPUTED "and" UNDEFEATED at the same time. Lennox, Holyfield, Ali, did not Unify.

For the record, when Buster Douglas beat Tyson, his camp did not pay sanctioning fees for the WBA and IBF, so in reality he won the World Boxing Council Heavy Weight Championship only to lose it 10 months later.

Mike Tyson will be a first round ballot into the IBHOF.

[Phantasm]

Bumping this up...