The Great Tyson Debate

[druth]

So I was watching the rabbitpunchboxing.com show and they were having the usual babble-session about Mike Tyson and whether or not he's one of the all-time Top 10 heavyweights. I’d really like to get this debate over with, once and for all.

Mike Tyson never defeated a HEAVYWEIGHT of any consequence in his career. Sure, he KO’d Spinx for the title, but lets not forget Spinks was a natural light heavyweight. Aside from Spinx, who else was there that he defeated that worth worth a crap? Bonecrusher Smith? Please.

The “good” heavyweights of Tyson’s time all beat him, and beat him soundly. Does anyone remember the Ear Eating Contest with Holyfield? How about the supposed Brit with the glass jaw that absolutely destroyed Tyson?

Why people would even fathom Tyson being one of the all-time greats is beyond me. Sure he had power in both hands and was very aggressive. His defense was average, due to his head movement. His conditioning was horrible, along with a non-existent jab or any counterpunching ability. Also, Tyson had a chin like a 6 year old.

I’m sorry to say, but the people who love Tyson and think he was God’s gift to the heavyweight division really need to go back and watch the fights and especially WHO he fought. They might actually reconsider their argument.

[JUYJUY]

Youngest Ever Heavyweight Champion of the World
First Man to Ever Unify the Heavyweight titles
Won back World titles after being imprisoned

That alone puts him in the top five.

[druth]

Level of competition. That alone eliminates everything you posted.

[JUYJUY]

You have to remember that Tyson was completely finished in June 1988 after leaving the Catskills, he stopped training and went off the rails. In his first fight without Rooney in his corner (Bruno 89) he was clearly a shadow of his former self and it was only a matter of time before he lost.

But from 1985-1988 the guy was the closest thing we've seen to invincible in a boxing ring, and you'd have to be a ****** to think otherwise.

Tyson beat the current WBC champion, then Tyson beat the current WBA champion, then Tyson beat current IBF champion, then Tyson beat the former WBC champion, then Tyson beat the former WBA champion, then Tyson beat the former IBF champion, and then Tyson knocked out the Lineal champion in one round. That was Tyson, fighting out of the Catskills, and he's definately top five HW all-time material. Tyson was the #1 lb4lb fighter in the world in 1986, 1987, 1988 and 1989 (ahead of the likes of Hagler/Hearns/Leonard/Duran et al), no other HW has done that.

Tyson OWNED Lennox Lewis and Evander Holyfield in sparring sessions in 1984, which was four years before he became a walking zombie and one-punching-hoping fool and 11 years before he came out of prison as an overly-muscular freakshow and human punching bag.

[JUYJUY]

Level of competition. That alone eliminates everything you posted.

Give me a break! That's ludicrous.

An undefeated Tony Tucker would of won every round against Lennox Lewis. An undefeated Michael Spinks would of won every round against Lennox Lewis. Tyson was the underdog in those fights but he overcame adversity.
Pinklon Thomas was pure quality at his best, I would say a higher standard that Rid**** Bowe. Tony Tubbs had fantastic potential and again probably a higher standard than somebody like Rid**** Bowe. Just because they aren't big 'names' due to being Post-Ali, you need to judge on actual physical ability rather than publicity. For example, watch the Tony Tucker Vs Buster Douglas IBF clash in 1987 and then go and watch the Lennox Lewis Vs Evander Holyfield fights in 1999. The difference in quality is huge, the Tucker-Douglas match is full of quick combinations and crisp punching whereas the Lewis-Holyfield fights are a couple of overly-muscular old men hugging and holding and wrestling. Yes the HW's evolved in the 1990's due to steroid-use but the 1980's provided better quality though smaller men.

[JUYJUY]

Tyson started using weights in the 1990's and this wrecked his sharpness, the guy was a complete shadow of his former self. He abandoned the Cus D'Amato secrets and Rooney's numbers system after the Spinks fight, and Tyson has been suicidal ever since his divorce in the fall of 88. Tyson was TOO good, he achieved too much too quickly because he was that good, and he couldn't handle success. Remember that he hinted retirement after the Spinks fight because he simply had nothing left to prove.. and he didn't appear back in a boxing ring until nine months later with his coke-addict friends in his corner and Don King, and much slower than he used to be. Tyson carried on boxing after Spinks because it's all he knew and he needed money and girls to keep his mind occupied due to his deep depression.

[Yogi]

The myth lives on!

[Parodius]

Mike Tyson was the youngest heavyweight champion of all time. He was the most feared fighter for 4 or 5 years. No boxer in history of boxing was feared like Tyson was for 4 or 5 years. Just for these 2 things he belongs in the top 5 of all time.

[JUYJUY]

The myth lives on!

So do the ******s, hey Yogi.

[JUYJUY]

Not a lot of people realise when Tyson's peak was, his peak was 4 or 5 fights before Spinks, the highly-skilled boxer that Cus D'Amato brought through, the one who boxed. (before Robin Givens distracted him).