Mike Tyson in his Prime was one of the greatest heavyweights of all time

[edgarg]

His style was perfection. Every move every punch, every form was perfect and he had an unmatched furiosity, intensity and confidence.. I don't know who could have stopped him in his prime.. he was the perfect specimen of fighting.

I tend to agree with you, although his prime was very short. I am undecided about #1, between Joe Louis, Jack Johnson, and Tyson. They were all quite capable at their best of beating any other heavyweight who existed.

In fact, it so happens that Jack Blackburn, Louis' trainer and teacher, a contemporary of Johnson, and who knew him well, told Louis very clearly that he could never beat Johnson, that he would "beat you badly". He said that Johnson had a knack of reaching out to touch his opponent at the right place jest when he was ready to throw, and put him off, then throw a killing uppercut. So he basically played with his opponents when he wanted to. That's not to say that Johnson could beat everyone that Louis beat, although I believe he could.

[The Noose]

He was potentially the greatest, but in reality it didnt happen for him. Most exciting, yes, but far from the greatest.

[edgarg]

ali wasn't so great just hyped up recieved 4 gifts and Liston took two dives after I watched an episode on Mobsters Liston manger was connected to the Luchasse Crime Family It's alledge that Liston was told to lose in the first fight cause Ali was a 8 to 1 under dog and than you had the phantom punch in the 2nd fight

Actually for the return, for almost the first time, Liston trained so diligently and was in such good shape, unlike the first fight, that the bookmakers had him the favourite to win. Then Ali withdrew because of a hernia and when the fight was finally staged Liston's conditioning was gone. The fight was held in a low budget, obscure arena, in a town not known for boxing, I think it was Lewiston Maine, capacity 2900. Too out of the way for even a full house. So it seems to be pointing towards a fix.

And I have read that careful questioning of Liston's siblings seem to have fixed his birth date in 1925 or 26, more likely the latter. There's no doubt but that he was far older than the age he put down when he first got a driving licence, after he became fairly well known. That would make him around 40 years old. And he looked every day of it. I think he only rrained because he liked the skipping routine he did around "Night Train".

[fitefanSHO]

In his PRIME, Tyson could hang with any heavyweight champion, ever.

[TheFrog]

If the guy would've kept his head on straight and taken training seriously and not gone to jail and all of that stuff his legacy would be WAY better imo.

[StarshipTrooper]

Vitali Klitschko vs Lennox Lewis

THE TRUTH

Vitali took the fight on just 10 days notice then grew a vagina on his face.

Vitali was clearly winning the fight 4-2 on all 3 scorecards at the time of growing a vagina on his face.

vaginas grown on face

Vitali 1
Lewis 0

Lewis was exhausted from turning Vitali's face into a sex organ.

All the fans at Staples Center cheered for Vitali and booed Lewis after the fight because, hey, everyone loves puzzy on their faces.

Lewis promised Vitali another facial vagina.

Vitali destroyed Kirk Johnson because he was embaressed by having a vagina on his face.

Lewis turned down 30 million dollars because he knew Vitali would retire on his stool like a coward like he did with Byrd.

Vitali dominated with vagisil and scared his face vagina into retirement.

Lewis is scared to death of getting a yeast infection from Vitali's face vagina.

Glad to see you telling like it is :allhail9:

[cupocity303]

i dunno the speed advantage for tyson is just too great I don't see vitali beating prime tyson .. lennox lewis couldnt beat a prime tyson either.

But of course he could. This is just wishful Fanboy thinking on your part, because Tyson is aesthetically pleasing to watch to you, with the kind of style he had.

Tyson was at his most successful with C and B-Level skilled opponents. Those who outmaneuvered and survived his initial onslaught, began sticking it to him, and exposing his mental deficiencies and sometimes lack of late round conditioning. And sometimes B-Level guys turned into A-Level guys for one night (I.E. Buster).

The prime Tyson you're speaking off, when you say, "the best they could do is just survive and it would be considered winning", are Journeymen types his management used to build him up. That's why I cringe when I listen fanboys describe him as this unbeatable monster that nobody could beat. Who tested Tyson's prime? The only two examples we can use to make that judgement, are the Michael Spinks and Larry Holmes fights, and those two guys had their own weaknesses at that point.

The crux of the whole matter is, Tyson apologists always have excuses for Tyson, without extending the same courtesy to other fighters. When a Klitschko brother losses just one Fight in between all the dominant victories before and after, it's immediately because they "suck" and reason for it is, they lost to a "bum". What about their circumstances?

Criticize Wlad's loss to Purrity, Sanders, Brewster all you want, but do the same with Tyson and realize that he wasn't this Roy Jones-esque unbeatable monster, at his prime. He has shown weaknesses in every point of his career, from his 20's to his mid 30's. The data is there to make a good case that a guy like Vitali, who only lost twice and has since went on to win all of his Fights & Rounds in dominant fashion. Who is still winning at age 40 in dominant fashion. Who has shown grit against Lewis in losing fashion, COULD BEAT MIKE TYSON AT ANY POINT OF IRON MIKE'S CAREER. Because Iron Mike wasn't IRON AT ALL.

[cupocity303]

For me it really is a case of "There's Tyson - and the rest!"

My favourite Fighter of All time.

I rate him - at his best, as one of the greatest fighting forces the world ever saw, trouble is ATG's are rated heavily on longevity and resume among other things. Tyson had a Brief but Brutal prime with an average resume.

He got me and an entire generation of fans into this great sport and in my opinion did more good than bad for the game, its great to see him doing well for himself now.

A fighter like Tyson and indeed a man like Tyson will always split the fans, he also attracts alot of fringe fans and flat out fan boys which further pisses off his haters and can unfairly turn non fans into haters. Its not fair but it happens, i myself have turned on fighters because of their fans before.


He has an Army of fans claiming he was the best that ever did it and an equal amount of boxing fans that feel he is completely overated and folded at the first sign of resistance.

He dont stand up with the Ali's and such ATG wise but H2H he's as good as if not better than anyone. Of all the greats the two guys that give him most trouble and would be favoured to beat him would be Ali and Foreman and imo there is even a decent case for him winning those ones!

Great Fighter at his best, a Real Shooting Star of Boxing - There will never be another Iron Mike Tyson!

He is the Zab Judah of Boxing. As in, you can fantasize about all the great things he could of done if ONLY HE HAD THIS, COULD DO THAT. HOW HE WAS UNBEATABLE WHEN ALL THE CIRCUMSTANCES WERE 100% RIGHT (No injuries, no distractions, the star aligned perfectly).

But it didn't happen. And you get judged based on what you do and how consistent you do it, not based on how aesthetically pleasing you are to watch, to the eye of a Boxing fan.

[edgarg]

I love watching stuff about that great era of heavyweights. I'll have to watch the video later because I don't have 2 hours to kill at the moment.

It's basically s blurb boosting up Ali, it is too much Ali, he's playing a part all the time, conscious of the camera, except when he's boxing. The rioting and politics were out of place. I preferred to listen to the other fighters who really had something to say about themselves and how they became involved with boxing. But they were there only to praise Ali. Poor Frazier hated the limelight. Norton and Holmes seemed the most natural, and interesting to listen to. Foreman was playing his humble bit, he always does it.

I saw just about all of it when it actually happened anyway, of course not all at once like this video.

[edgarg]

If the guy would've kept his head on straight and taken training seriously and not gone to jail and all of that stuff his legacy would be WAY better imo.

During that gaol period he was out of boxing for over 4 years..........