Is Mike Tyson one of the most overrated fighters ever?

[HarvardBlue]

You don't get the point. Nobody is saying that Tyson is a bad fighter or that he never had the potential. I'm saying that obsession with Tyson from casuals is getting on nerves sometimes. They say he's the BEST fighter EVER after Ali.

Some casual fan got emotional when I've told him Tyson's resume isn't all that. I've told him Lennox Lewis, Holyfield has better resumes, and there's a lot of other fighters from other divisions with a far superior resumes....and he was like What you've been smoking, with the expression like I've said some dumbest **** he ever heard

No, I get your point. His resume may not be the best but he did fight almost all the top HWs during his time. He lost to some of them but he did fight them. I'm giving him extra points for the aura that surrounded him as a fighter. I can name several fighters more overrated than him. I don't think he was the best ever either.

[hugh grant]

Physically the greatest even above Ali. But not best resume or heart. Although when he was pulverising everyone you count that as heart as you think he doesn't have fear or anything.
It in his prime he was top ten I'd say. It just didn't last long.
But Tyson is top ten I'd say

[sugar ray lenrd]

Don't get me wrong, I love Tyson, he's the face of boxing right now for me, a charismatic person.

I appreciate that he's the fighter who made pro boxing popular among youth in Russia in 90's (this is where I'm from). People wouldn't care that much about the sport over here if it wasn't for him

Some dog owners name their pit bulls after Tyson. I had a friend and he's called Tyson because he loves ****ing people up. Tyson has that kind of fame that went over American borders. Even Pacquiao and Mayweather never had that kind of international fame when you think about it. When you ask a casual person about some boxers, Tyson is always the second name that gets mentioned after Ali. I don't know how it is in America, but that's how it is over here. Ali, Tyson, maybe Roy Jones and that's it, they barely know any other names

And I get that he was famous not because of his resume but because of the manner how he was winning fights. Definitely one of the most entertaining fighters of all time. But when you look at his resume you start thinking that all this hype isn't justified. Holyfield and Lewis were much better and they were coming from the same generation of heavyweights. I made this thread because I got tired arguing with casuals when I say that Tyson is not even top 5 heavyweight of all time

Man, you can even make an argument for Golovkin's resume being better and I'm not hating on Tyson, I have a lot of respect for him

GGG has a better resume than Tyson? What are smoking? And can I have some?...Please... :-)

[g27region]

GGG has a better resume than Tyson? What are smoking? And can I have some?...Please... :-)

Why people gets all emotional when they hear Golovkin's name? I don't even want to mention his name on this forum because his fans and his haters are equally ******ed

I've said you can make an argument for Golovkin's resume being better based on the fact that he has champion status for much longer period of time, not that his resume is better - that's debatable, at least you can try to understand that opinion.

They have almost the same level of defeated opposition (if you don't count old past prime Larry Holmes and small Michael Spinks, only two decent scalps in Tyson's resume) and no career defining win in their careers.

The difference is that there's way more obession with Tyson among casuals, they get angry when you tell them Tyson is far from being the most accomplished boxer of all time in terms of resume. They say he has THE BEST resume since Ali

It's way more annoying than stuff some Golovkin fans say

Matter of fact, Tyson doesn't have scalps of Tua, Holyfield, Klitschko level like Lewis. It's light heavyweight Spinks, old Holmes....and that's it

And I have more respect for Tyson than I have for 95% of boxers out here including Golovkin, but I have to be real

[Ray Corso]

Top 15 all time in the division for me!
Capable of winning against anybody because of his punching power!

If you think about the past 100+ years of men fighting to capture the heavyweight title and your in the top 20 all time
that's an incredible accomplishment in the sport.

Power punchers are always in the game especially with the big boys!

Ray

[GhostofDempsey]

Overrated is very subjective. We have to look at it from two perspectives; from the casual fan and from the boxing purists. Casuals certainly over rate him, but I think many boxing fans underrate him. For a guy his size he was taking on much bigger opponents who were no pushovers. He just made them look average. At 5'10" he was destroying dudes who were seasoned fighters standing at 6'5". His head movement, speed, power and finishing ability struck fear across the division. Bowe and Lewis were nowhere to be found during his prime.

[Poppo168]

Overrated is very subjective. We have to look at it from two perspectives; from the casual fan and from the boxing purists. Casuals certainly over rate him, but I think many boxing fans underrate him. For a guy his size he was taking on much bigger opponents who were no pushovers. He just made them look average. At 5'10" he was destroying dudes who were seasoned fighters standing at 6'5". His head movement, speed, power and finishing ability struck fear across the division. Bowe and Lewis were nowhere to be found during his prime.

Lewis wanted to fight Tyson and was avoided like the plague and paid off by don king. According to a few sources..

[Graz]

In his prime Mike Tyson was a force to be reckoned with and feared in the division. His life outside the ring eventually beat him.

[Double]

I think so, what is the best W on his resume?

Razor Ruddock? lol

[GhostofDempsey]

Lewis wanted to fight Tyson and was avoided like the plague and paid off by don king. According to a few sources..

From what I've read he waited to turn pro while Tyson was in his prime. They sparred as amateurs and Tyson got the better of him, so Lewis' people had him wait it out. Not sure if that's the whole story, maybe there is more to it.