How good was prime Mike Tyson?

[QueensburyRules]

Indeed he did, and Holmes gave a prime Holyfield a decent challenge himself, even at 42 years old.

- -Cut Field wide open with an Elbow. Lar a punchbag otherwise.

[emceetns]

I hate how Tyson fans still go on about a retired, out of shape Larry like it is a great achievement. Man had been out of the ring for years

He had been out of the ring for a little less than two years. And
what about everything Larry Holmes accomplished after that? Did Tyson beat a prime Holmes? No, but Tyson haters also ignore how Larry Holmes went on to beat Ray Mercer and give a prime Holyfield a decent challenge four years later.

[emceetns]

- -Cut Field wide open with an Elbow. Lar a punchbag otherwise.

He lost 116-112 on two scorecards and 117-111 on the other. Doesn't seem like he was a punching bag to me.

[MiDKnighT]

George Foreman admitted recently that he wanted no piece of Mike Tyson when he was on Max Kellerman's show

He says that now to be nice. Back in the day he called out Tyson every chance he could. And Tyson wanted none of it.

Look up Foreman on the Letterman show after the Cooney fight for example.

Note that George Foreman also said he was terrified of Joe Frazier before he fought him. Then proceeded to floor Frazier 6 times in 2 rounds.

[The D3vil]

He says that now to be nice. Back in the day he called out Tyson every chance he could. And Tyson wanted none of it.

Look up Foreman on the Letterman show after the Cooney fight for example.

Note that George Foreman also said he was terrified of Joe Frazier before he fought him. Then proceeded to floor Frazier 6 times in 2 rounds.

Oh, okay.

[a.rihn]

In my book about Tyson's fights, I refer to what I call “perhaps the most beautiful twelve seconds of Mike Tyson’s boxing career.” They're in his 1986 fight against Reggie Gross. Tyson slips about a dozen or so punches from Gross, pivots, then pops a hook that floors Gross. I wrote a little more about it here.

Considering a fighter's "prime," I think about the word itself. Every fighter has their "prime," even if they were just mediocre, or they squandered that prime, or got outclassed or whatever. It's hard to look back and judge what someone's best year/s were. Arguably, Tyson's best fighting was done when he was training the hardest. Unfortunately, that period was ending just as he was facing his stronger challengers. This makes it so difficult to judge, and leaves me at least always considering "what-coulda-beens".

[QueensburyRules]

He lost 116-112 on two scorecards and 117-111 on the other. Doesn't seem like he was a punching bag to me.

- -U da punching bag?

[HandsofIron]

TBE Heavyweight.

[hugh grant]

He was physically the greatest heavyweight of all time. Punched harder and faster combinations than any heavyweight. No-one is saying he is the greatest, with best resume and had longevity.
Tyrell Biggs and tony tucker and Frank Bruno will I'm sure say he was better than lennox lewis

[Blond Beast]

Spoken like someone who knows a thing or two about boxing.

Ali and Joe Louis may be considered the 2 greatest heavyweights ever but I say that for Mike Tyson specifically, George Foreman was the worst possible matchup. So the mostly confirmed rumors that Tyson wanted nothing to do with Foreman makes perfect sense. Frazier didn't exactly have the peek a boo style but it was close. Foreman's game just simply owned that kind of fighter. Tyson would be tailor made to be flattened by Big George.

I also don't know how anyone can put Tyson in the top 5 great heavyweights ever. His "unstoppable" reign only lasted 3-4 years and during that time he didn't fight Holyfield and he didn't fight Foreman both of whom I would say would have been his biggest challenges at the time.

For all time greats, Ali and Louis are up there of course. I'd also easily have Marciano, Lennox, Foreman, Klitchko's, Holyfield, Holmes, and probably a couple of old timey boxers ahead of Tyson.

I'd put Tyson in a category with Liston, Bowe, etc... guys who looked unstoppable for a short time...

Thanks man. I had the video game, we rented Tyson’s greatest hits repeatedly as kids. My Dad was disappointed that Spinks didn’t put up a better effort against Mike, try to box and stay away early. Not get caught against the ropes right away like he did. Maybe that’s all credit to Mike. I know my Dad paid to see it closed circuit back then. So I felt bad. As much as us kids were part of the Tyson craze, I knew it wouldn’t be good for the sport if Tyson just creamed everyone. So the day after the Spinks fight I asked my Dad if he thought anyone out there could beat Mike Tyson? His eyes widened and he said “Well Son there is this guy named Evander Holyfield...”. When they finally fought he only took even odds at the bar because he didn’t want anyone to lose out too much when Evander inevitably won. I like to tell this story when people call me a hater. I had Tyson pics on my wall. I practiced his moves. I lifted weights to match his physique. But I’ve also since seen all his fights and he’s extremely overrated as a fighter, but not as an attraction. He had style for sure. I think u said it perfectly with putting him in the category of one of those guys “that looked unstoppable for a while.” Only Mike Tyson could lose in the biggest upset in history.