Not Only Does Mike Tyson Not Belong As A Top Ten HW, He's Not Even Close

[jas]

I think prime for prime, Tyson would give Louis and Frazier a hell of a time.. I think Louis would possibly be a better choice for Tyson than Frazier. On the other hand, Tyson would be punching with two while Frazier would be left hand fancy.

I truly believe Frazier has better stamina, chin and defense.

Louis would hurt Tyson with a right hand and finish him.

[Cuauhtémoc1520]

I really don't see how you can say that.

Past prime Holyfield was much better than past prime Tyson who had really looked bad ever since his comeback. Anyone remember him kind of struggling with Buster Mathis Jr? He didn't train hard at all, smoked weed and did cocain all the time, hung out with pimps, had babies with hookers, was going broke, had legal problems with Don King and his management team, was in jail multiple times, was accused of rape 5 times etc etc.

The man was a living mess. If we knew all that stuff then, there's no way he would have been favourite for the Holyfield fight. But people were so into the idea of Iron Mike that they thought he was still the same as he was in the late 80s.

I think Tyson would've beaten Holyfield in his prime.

I disagree, I think Holyfield was much better than Tyson prime for prime. One thing we need to remember is that when Tyson was pushed, he folded. When Tyson was being the bully and just intimidating people, he was at his best.

Holyfield wouldn't have been scared of him then, later or or now. I think Mike Tyson is outside my all time top 10 HW, about 14-15 on my list. He was a devastating puncher but severely overrated.

[bojangles1987]

I really don't see how you can say that.

Past prime Holyfield was much better than past prime Tyson who had really looked bad ever since his comeback. Anyone remember him kind of struggling with Buster Mathis Jr? He didn't train hard at all, smoked weed and did cocain all the time, hung out with pimps, had babies with hookers, was going broke, had legal problems with Don King and his management team, was in jail multiple times, was accused of rape 5 times etc etc.

The man was a living mess. If we knew all that stuff then, there's no way he would have been favourite for the Holyfield fight. But people were so into the idea of Iron Mike that they thought he was still the same as he was in the late 80s.

I think Tyson would've beaten Holyfield in his prime.

Holyfield is a smarter, tougher, more skilled fighter.

Not saying Tyson couldn't win or that it'd be easy, but I'd pick Holyfield and feel good about it.

[LacedUp]

Holyfield is a smarter, tougher, more skilled fighter.

Not saying Tyson couldn't win or that it'd be easy, but I'd pick Holyfield and feel good about it.

We can talk about him being tougher and perhaps smarter. But Tyson in his prime was much more skillful than Holyfield.

I disagree, I think Holyfield was much better than Tyson prime for prime. One thing we need to remember is that when Tyson was pushed, he folded. When Tyson was being the bully and just intimidating people, he was at his best.

Holyfield wouldn't have been scared of him then, later or or now. I think Mike Tyson is outside my all time top 10 HW, about 14-15 on my list. He was a devastating puncher but severely overrated.

I honestly think the first part is an urban myth. Tyson didn't fold when he was pushed, he met good opponents during his career who weren't afraid of him like Mitch Green, Bonecrusher Smith, Pinklon Thomas, Henry Tillman, Razor Ruddock, Frank Bruno, Tony Tucker etc. These were pretty good fighters and tough. Tyson beat them all, some better than others.

Tyson's whole 'Iron Mike' façade was more just his way of giving testament to Cus D'amato. it was he who drilled that into him. That he had to be fearsome, a monster or an animal so that people would fear him and carry his mum's grocery's home as opposed to throwing rocks at her.

I think Tyson and Holyfield were scheduled to fight in '91 first if i'm not mistaken, and I honestly think Tyson would have beaten him at that stage. but who knows, all we know is that Holyfield beat him, using dirty tactics if we're honest, and will be remembered as a greater heavyweight than Tyson by most.

[Jeff Da Maori]

For me, his best win is over the ghost of Larry Holmes. Prime for prime, it's a completely different fight though. If he couldn't blow away solid fighters like Tony Tucker or Bonecrusher Smith in his prime then I don't see how he beats too many of the greats by KO, and he sure as **** isn't outboxing any of them.

[12TRIBEsRiSe]

Top 10 Heavyweights (not in order)

1. Ali
2. Sonny Liston
3. Jack Johnson
4. Rocky Marciano
5. Evander Holyfield
6. Lennox Lewis
7. Joe Frazier
8. George Foreman
9. Jack Dempsey
10. Joe Louis

Runner ups
Larry Holmes
Ken Norton
Floyd Patterson


I really see NO WAY, that anyone can seriously squeeze Mike Tyson in over any of these guys. Mike beat alot of bums and looked very good, once he stepped up in class, he didn't look so hot.

marciano beat alot of bums too

[2Shotz]

Mike Tyson might not qualify as a Top Ten HW (and that is open for debate) BUT he has accomplished something that hadn't been done since Ali.

Tyson captured the PUBLIC INTEREST. The man's name is immortal.

Go out on the street and ask 10 random people if they've heard of Lennox Lewis or Evander Holyfield or either Klitschko? Now repeat the process and ask 10 random people if they've heard of Mike Tyson?

This ability to achieve this kind of effect on the global public is very, very rare.

[Cuauhtémoc1520]

I honestly think the first part is an urban myth. Tyson didn't fold when he was pushed, he met good opponents during his career who weren't afraid of him like Mitch Green, Bonecrusher Smith, Pinklon Thomas, Henry Tillman, Razor Ruddock, Frank Bruno, Tony Tucker etc. These were pretty good fighters and tough. Tyson beat them all, some better than others.

Tyson's whole 'Iron Mike' façade was more just his way of giving testament to Cus D'amato. it was he who drilled that into him. That he had to be fearsome, a monster or an animal so that people would fear him and carry his mum's grocery's home as opposed to throwing rocks at her.

I think Tyson and Holyfield were scheduled to fight in '91 first if i'm not mistaken, and I honestly think Tyson would have beaten him at that stage. but who knows, all we know is that Holyfield beat him, using dirty tactics if we're honest, and will be remembered as a greater heavyweight than Tyson by most.

It's most definitely not an urban myth because I lived it. I don't know how old you are but I was around in the 80's and watched all if not the vast majority of Tysons fights live.

He was a quintessential bully. When he was on top, the favorite and scaring the daylights out of people, he was at his best. The second he was pushed into a corner, and given any adversity, he coward in the face if it. Sorry, but it's true.

Of the fighters you name, I would say that some were pretty good, some bad but none great. Tyson came up in the perfect time for a HW, he had little to no competition. Now that's not his fault, I don't blame him for that but when presented against the best of his era, he lost and lost badly.

I understand the troubles he went through as well, leaving Cus, Atlas and then Rooney had a severely negative impact on his career. At the same time, that's his fault, and we have to hold him accountable for that.

It's kind of like when some fans say that Wilfredo Gomez didn't train for Sanchez, well that's part of being a great and dedicated fighter. We can't deal in "what if's" all the time and use that as an excuse.

I think Tyson was a very good HW, top 20 no doubt. Not better than Holyfield and was definitely a devastating puncher. I just think people overrate him too much because of his power.

[Nay_Sayer]

That was by injury.

Did an injury also prevent the rematch from happening?

Did prime Tyson not lose to Buster Douglas?

Tyson had left Rooney and was a shadow of his former self by the time of the Douglas fight.

Your argument is laughable and invalid and void.

We'll see...

[Mr.Fantastic]

But he's #1 in excitement.