Who did Tyson ever beat? His resume is pretty bad.

[real raw]

You can look at stats and records, but it’s not the same as living through the era — as I did. Mike was a great fighter, and as electrifying as anyone we’ve ever seen. At his peak, I’d wager he might beat anyone who ever lived on a given night. But Tyson is indeed overrated. Yeah, he beat everyone that was around at the time; but who was that, really? We all know he lost every fight that truly ever meant anything. It is what it is.

Prime Mike was capable of beating anyone. Jail and Don King changed him, that's when he became vulnerable. It's not that others were better than him, Mike changed, that's what did him in.

[real raw]

You can look at stats and records, but it’s not the same as living through the era — as I did. Mike was a great fighter, and as electrifying as anyone we’ve ever seen. At his peak, I’d wager he might beat anyone who ever lived on a given night. But Tyson is indeed overrated. Yeah, he beat everyone that was around at the time; but who was that, really? We all know he lost every fight that truly ever meant anything. It is what it is.

Exactly, you had to have been there.

[Toffee]

You can look at stats and records, but it’s not the same as living through the era — as I did. Mike was a great fighter, and as electrifying as anyone we’ve ever seen. At his peak, I’d wager he might beat anyone who ever lived on a given night. But Tyson is indeed overrated. Yeah, he beat everyone that was around at the time; but who was that, really? We all know he lost every fight that truly ever meant anything. It is what it is.

He was awesome at the time. My hero as a kid. My kids now can't believe there was a time when the Heavyweight Champion was amongst the most famous people in the world. There hasn't been anyone like him since.

But we can't deny he came through in a very weak era and even then his time at the top was very short. From Berbick to Douglas is just over 3 years... and while it's incredible he came out of jail to win titles again, Holyfield showed up Tyson's level at that time.

It will be interesting to see how his legacy is treated in another 10-20 years. Most people taking about boxing now actually remember the excitement around him. Give it another decade or so and he'll be judged just on his resume.

[CubanGuyNYC]

He was awesome at the time. My hero as a kid. My kids now can't believe there was a time when the Heavyweight Champion was amongst the most famous people in the world. There hasn't been anyone like him since.

But we can't deny he came through in a very weak era and even then his time at the top was very short. From Berbick to Douglas is just over 3 years... and while it's incredible he came out of jail to win titles again, Holyfield showed up Tyson's level at that time.

It will be interesting to see how his legacy is treated in another 10-20 years. Most people taking about boxing now actually remember the excitement around him. Give it another decade or so and he'll be judged just on his resume.

In decades past, when boxing was a much more popular sport, everyone knew who the heavyweight champion was — even the names of some of the champs in the lighter divisions. Those days are long gone. After Ali there was a void in the heavyweight division — then came Tyson. To this day non-fans know who he is. Very few other names have gotten through to the common man since Ali’s time. We can debate Mike’s place among the all-time greats, but there’s no question about the presence he brought, the buzz, the attention to the sport. He was/is special.

[hugh grant]

I think Tyson is a top 15 heavyweight. But I think at his best he could best anyone. It's just his prime was a short window, and he didn't fight the lennox Lewis's and holyfield in that window

[TheProudLunatic]

Tyson vs fighters that won a major world title:
W vs Alfonso Ratliff TKO 2 ( )
W vs Trevor Berbick TKO 2
W vs James Smith UD 12
W vs Pinklon Thomas TKO 6
W vs Tony Tucker UD 12
W vs Larry Holmes KO 4 (after a 2 year layoff)
W vs Tony Tubbs TKO 2
W vs Michael Spinks KO 1 FOH. Pure Cash out
W vs Frank Bruno TKO 5 FOH LAME AF
L vs Buster Douglas KO 10 #1 ATG Fluke
W vs Frank Bruno TKO 3 FOH The Sequel
W vs Bruce Seldon TKO 1 Phantom "punch" MFer
L vs Evander Holyfield TKO 11
L vs Evander Holyfield DQ 3
NC vs Orlin Norris 1
L vs Lennox Lewis KO 8

Got humiliated by the only opponents that could have given him a legit resume.

[TMLT87]

But no-one is rating AJ and Fury over Tyson?

The point is his resume is allegedly "pretty bad" except its better than anyone in the current division, and yes that includes Usyk, who has had 8 fights at HW vs 5 opponents.

[garfios]

Tyson best the top ten heavyweights of his time I bet, apart from buster douglas

And he would beat him 9 out 10, actually he put him down for one of the longest count in a heavyweight championship bout. He lost almost four years of his prime with the Desire fiasco, a girl that went to his room willingly at 3AM and later was known she was preparing a lawsuit. The guy was a beast, once he lost Cus and later around Jacob's, Don King took over and his fate was sealed.

[TheProudLunatic]

And he would beat him 9 out 10, actually he put him down for one of the longest count in a heavyweight championship bout. He lost almost four years of his prime with the Desire fiasco, a girl that went to his room willingly at 3AM and later was known she was preparing a lawsuit. The guy was a beast, once he lost Cus and later around Jacob's, Don King took over and his fate was sealed.

I love it when Mike fans roll out that excuse
Mike was supposed to fubar Mr 44 to 1 by the 2nd rd

[garfios]

I love it when Mike fans roll out that excuse
Mike was supposed to fubar Mr 44 to 1 by the 2nd rd

The guy won fair and square and I'm not excusing Mike, it is a fact, he should have done it again and he didn't, the fact of the matter is that if it wasn't Buster it would have been someone else, he was spiraling downward and nobody could have stopped that fall, mentally he was lost and the people that help him be sane and strong were there no more, only Rodney and he was a little crazy himself. Berbick, Thomas, Bone Crush, Tucker, Ferguson, Tyrell, Tubbs, Spinks, Stewart, Ruddock, Seldom, they were all capable fighters and some of them World Champs. He was and still is the youngest Heavyweight Champion and took all the belts not just one.