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Tyson would've been "the baddest man on the planet" regardless of who it was that developed him or manned his corner. You could see it in the guy's eyes during his prime - He was born with a colossal chip on his shoulder, a severe inferiority complex, a hatred for his fellow man, and a predisposition for unmitigated violence. IDGAF who trained him, Tyson is Tyson - That's what made him so special. He was born to be a giant among men.
That said, if someone other than Cus trained him he might've lasted longer at the top. Other trainers likely wouldn't have let Tyson get away with half of the **** that Cus let him slide with. That could've ended up with a more disciplined and responsible Tyson that could've dominated for much longer than the version we actually got.Last edited by ßringer; 07-26-2014, 11:19 PM.Comment
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That's a common argument, and you could certainly argue that he was "on track" when Cus was alive, but I'd vehemently disagree. Dude wasn't on track at all, he was still going back to Brooklyn to rob people with his old group of friends on the weekends, not to mention that whole incident with Teddy Atlas's niece which, instead of leading to disciplinary action being taken against Mike, instead led to Teddy Atlas being fired.
Cus was a wise guy when it comes to boxing, but he was also a bitter and selfish prick determined to "get back" at boxing. He was willing to sacrifice anybody or anything so long as it meant Tyson would become a success, so he ended up looking the other way while Tyson ran rampant under his nose. None of this stuff was as bad as his public meltdown after Cus died, but by that time it was irrelevant because Cus was responsible for the seed being planted in the first place. He created a vacuum in which Tyson could do whatever-the-**** he wanted and face no repercussions for his actions so long as he continued to progress both professionally and in the gym.
Though it should be noted that I'm not entirely sure things would've turned out any different even if Tyson did have a different trainer like OP is asking. Truthfully, Tyson's issues are entirely mental and always have been. He was born to be a conqueror, but he was also born to destroy himself, so who knows? He could've reigned longer if more disciplined by his trainer, but he also could've let his mental issues be his undoing yet again.
We'll never know and, frankly, that's what's so fascinating about him. We love a flawed character study.Last edited by ßringer; 07-27-2014, 01:04 AM.Comment
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Yep, that's very interesting and a way of looking at things I haven't encountered yet. I guess I was quick to swallow the romanticised version of Cus...
One thing is certain though, he did well to fire Atlas. Not because to turn a blind eye to Mike's attempts at his niece.. But just because the guy is a complete tool!
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I'm inclined to believe the latter. Tyson was born under complex circumstances that, when coupled with his mental and emotional instability, as well as his love of violence, couldn't have lead to him being anything other than him either being a professional fighter or somebody serving a life sentence.
I think any trainer of competence would've been able to channel his focus into a singular goal.
That said, keeping him there is another story entirely. I'm not sure that anybody would've been able to prevent his self-destruction.Comment
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