Comments Thread For: Teddy Atlas on Mike Tyson: I Don't Know If He Was Ever Great

[Phatfarm1980]

I watch Teddy's Youtube podcast very occasionally and he talks absolute nonsense. If it wasn't for Mike Tyson, Teddy Atlas would be nobody

[hugh grant]

Tyson was the best puncher. He was great. He can come out of jail and he beat bruno in 3 rounds. Tyson may not be the greatest bu t he's great

[vital1983]

Tyson had a great run but when he fought the elite in Holyfield and Lennox, he got beat. This brings him down a few notches, if he beat one of these, he'd be right up there.

[hugh grant]

Tyson had a great run but when he fought the elight in Holyfield and Lennox, he got beat. This brings him down a few notches, if he beat one of these, he'd be right up there.

Yeh, id say Tyson was great but maybe below holyfield and lennox. Tyson is historian id like Tyson to tell us where he is historically

[Boro]

Atlas is right, when he fought good fighters like Holyfield and Lewis, he lost and whenever he struggled sometimes even against lesser opposition he looked for a comfortable spot on the canvas despite being able to get up or to chew on ears for a way out...

Capitulating was his way and ironically Wilder is being crucified for his resume and losing when he steps up and Tysons truthfully best is an ancient Holmes and the LHW Spinks and the exact same happened to him in step ups...

[PerfectJab]

Judging Tyson by his losses against Buster Douglas, Holyfield and Lewis isn't that simple (or fair)

Tyson was already in decline and most importantly because of factors outside the ring
Divorce, prison, Don King, crowd of vultures and cocaïne, Tyson was basically only fighting for the money, especially vs Holyfield and Lewis. The real hunger was gone after prison.
And not to mention he had some really really bad random trainers who knew nothing about the peekaboo style and just wanted him to throw single bombs to win fights, not box anymore.
Just for those who don't realize how terrible some of his trainers were, for the Douglas fight they didn't even prepare to bring an enswell so they couldn't work on Tyson's closing eye and resorted to using a condom full of ice....

[Baba K]

Tyson was a great fighter but we don't know how great he could have been because fame didn't allow him to mature as a person or a fighter and basically stole his prime. 20 is REALLY young to have the world at your feet and no one to tell you what to do or advise you. But how would a prime, fight mature 24 year old Tyson have dealt with the Holyfield that beat Douglas, Witherspoon, Foreman, Mercer, Lewis, Rid**** Bowe, and the fighters he didn't get to fight? Something tells me he doesn't run the table but a few of those wars takes his greatness to new levels, win or lose.

[unknowledgeablepugilist]

Atlas is right, when he fought good fighters like Holyfield and Lewis, he lost and whenever he struggled sometimes even against lesser opposition he looked for a comfortable spot on the canvas despite being able to get up or to chew on ears for a way out...

Capitulating was his way and ironically Wilder is being crucified for his resume and losing when he steps up and Tysons truthfully best is an ancient Holmes and the LHW Spinks and the exact same happened to him in step ups...

Holme's was past his best but still a credible heavyweight, evident by his victory over Ray Mercer. Furthermore, Spinks being a former light heavyweight means what? He was the first man to dethrone Larry Holmes and was a champion at heavyweight.

Finally, Tyson resume is more than just two names - victories over Pinklon Thomas, Tony Tucker, Razor Ruddock, Trevor Berbick, and Bonecrusher Smith. Tyson did clean out the heavyweight division in the mid-eighties. Something neither current heavyweight can claim whether it is Wilder, Joshua or Fury.

[MONGOOSE66]

I agree with Teddy but I also will say something most people don’t about some fighters. Tyson was the type of man that PHYSICALLY was a man at a very young age. He had man like power, speed & athleticism at 15. He also peaked early because of it.
I also remember the Tyson loss to Douglass. I remember he had a lot of problems. I remember talk of his mental stability. I remember watching him do his ring walk and saying. “He looked sedated”. He didn’t have that Mike Tyson pacing tiger looking at dinner look. I remember that clearly.

I still say he was he was the most explosive, powerful (both hands), fastest footed heavy weight I’ve ever seen.
Greatest heavyweight? I don’t know. He peaked at 23 in my mind.
I think all great heavyweights have holes. He had the least in my mind.
Greatest fighters in my mind are 122-147.
and to be honest. Men under 122 are far faster.

[CubanGuyNYC]

Judging from the comments, few people actually read the article. Practically everything Teddy said was 100% accurate. Tyson was a physical beast with skills — there’s no denying that — but he was rarely in there with anyone who tested him. When he was, Mike tended not to rise to the occasion. True greatness shines through under real pressure. It’s the main reason why Ali is considered the GOAT. Muhammad always dug deep when it was required of him — and he prevailed. Tyson…not so much.