Clearing up a HUGE Tyson falsehood....

[ICEMAN JOHN SCULLY]

Something you seem to forget in the whole "Tyson was a sh**** amateur" argument is that 27 fights is NOTHING in the ams. 27 fights is still a complete rookie, at an international level. So, taken into consideration that he fought Olympic Trials with 20 to 25 fights, of course he's not gonna make the team. That's like letting a pro with 5 fights get a world title shot. Who's to say Tyson wouldn't have made the next Olympics if he'd stuck around? By that time he could have had the 200 fights Oscar DLH had when he won Olympic gold. BIG difference.

Let me clarify one thing for people right now... .because this is one of boxing BIGGEST myths ever...saying that Tyson wasnt a good amateur, using him as an example of someone who wasnt a top amateur but went on to a goo pro career. Take him OFF that list because Mike Tyson was not only a TOP amateur but he also destroyed many OTHER top amateurs. This argument is a VERY CLEAR example of someone that takes something they HEAR and passing it off to others as fact....it has snowballed into something totally false. Tyson won the Ohio State Fair twice, won the National Junior Olympics twice and won both the National Golden Gloves and the U.S. Juniors one time each. He represented the USA successfull yin International competition and he was chosen as the "most noteworthy contender" in 1984 to Henry Tillman and that qualified him for the Olympic Box-Off where he lost to Tillman for the Olympic spot. Being the most noteworthy is a HUGE honor in amateur boxing and is reserved for the elite at the time, which tyson certainly was at 201 pounds in this country.

[THE REAL NINJA]

Wasn't he really like 40-4 anyway ?

I have the Tillman fights

He had a good amature style and jabbed Tyson's ears off.
I could see a lot of what Buster did may have come from what Till was doing to Mike back then .

[ICEMAN JOHN SCULLY]

Tyson lost to some top class amateurs , yes, but he beat MANY MORE than he lost to.

[THE REAL NINJA]

Tyson lost to some top class amateurs , yes, but he beat MANY MORE than he lost to.

Is there anyone that really stands out that you could say was a very bad amature but then went on to become a very good pro ?

I remember someone said that Tito Trinidad wasn't very good as an amature .

[McNulty]

Paul Williams wasnt a good amatuer...so I hear.

[ICEMAN JOHN SCULLY]

Tito was still a Junior Olympic boxer when he went pro so he went pro YOUNG...James Toney had some amateur fights but was never a national level pro. His one fight against a top shelf amateur came against Joe Lipsey (who he lost to). I lost to Lipsey too at the 1988 USA ABF Nationals. Joe was a top amateur for a LONG time. Lipsey did pretty well as a pro until he ran into Hopkins but he didnt reach the level that many assumed he would

[monkeyboy]

I got nuthin to add except that I found this thread fascinating so far. Cheers.

[El Jesus]

your amatuer knowledge is stunning.

[McNulty]

your amatuer knowledge is stunning.

Aye...equally stunning as Scullys use of caps a bold font. Stunning to my eyes...

[ICEMAN JOHN SCULLY]

your amatuer knowledge is stunning.

It's a gift