Did Tyson's skills really diminish after prison or is that just a myth?

[elfag]

he was already declining before prison but he was even worse after. he was loading up on single punches looking for a one punch ko, he lost his fast combinations and really his peek a boo style, he looked so sloppy compared to his prime.

[elfag]

I rewatched Tyson Holyfield 1 the other day and it just confirmed as I've always said Tyson was not shot at all.

Was he in the ring with a smarter, stronger, better opponent? Yes

Was he shot no.

There was nothing wrong with Tyson he was the same as ever, Evander was just the better man, a bad style match up with excellent strategy and he stuck to the plan.

Mike in that first Evander fight was still in his physical prime and fought basically the same as ever. That fight and the second fight broke Mike and he was finished BY THEM.

I get so sick of the excuses from tyson fanbois

He was 8 years past his prime by the time they fought.

If Holy jumped directly to heavyweight to challenge him in the late 80s, cruiser vs heavy champ, he would have been sparked out.

It is what it is.

You cant sit there and say someone 8 years past their prime was the same guy.

[1bad65]

I think this the truth but only a portion of it. I believe after the glitz and glamour and fame Tyson starting seeing boxing as a job instead of his original intent which I've always thought was to hurt people.

His original intent was to be the greatest boxer ever to honor Cus.

He hurt people, and intimidated them mentally beforehand, as tools to become the greatest.

Once Cus died and he lost his motivation, his training went to hell and he was never the same.

His book is a great read. He opens up alot.

[1bad65]

went far before prison

Yup.

It was the day Cus died, imo.

[edgarg]

Tyson's skills began to diminish as soon as Don King got hold of him, and under his thoroughly evil influence he became looser in his lifestyle, slacking in training etc. He fired his D'Amato taught trainer, Kevin Rooney, who complained strongly. Rooney had dinned into Tyson to punch reflexively by calling out numbers in quick succession, each number being a different punch, move or feint. Each punch packed heavy power. The training regimen was very heavy but was beautiful to watch; and that's how Tyson was such a ferocious and elusive beast in the ring. There was nobody like him.

I saw him myself in Tokyo walking in the Ginza with 3-4 Japanese Geisha **********s, It was also a huge Front Page picture in the papers, which of course I couldn't read, but a picture speaks volumes. It seems he did this regularly, although I saw him only the once. I was viewing famous (infamous) places, and The Ginza was a world renowned area, a famous "Red-Light" district, and he was on the main street through it.

He sort of trained for a few weeks in between training with his female admirers. And he still had the energy to go 10 rounds of Buster Douglas in his best ever performance. Even after taking loads of heavy punishment for almost every round, he still was able to drop Douglas, in, I think, the 8th.
I made the count at least 14 secs, and Tyson should have won. Douglas would have got up at, say, 9, to beat a normal count but there was never a finisher like Tyson. That ref was a dud.

[edgarg]

I seem to see Bruno coming down the aisle for that 2nd Tyson fight, muttering-what?-maybe prayers. He was badly outclassed. In his prime, he was a top fighter an excellent boxer.

My late first cousin was a Liverpool physician, and also a ring doctor. He knew Frank Bruno very well, and told me how really nice a guy he was, but very simple, superstitious and easily influenced.

[Earl-Hickey]

He was 8 years past his prime by the time they fought.

If Holy jumped directly to heavyweight to challenge him in the late 80s, cruiser vs heavy champ, he would have been sparked out.

It is what it is.

You cant sit there and say someone 8 years past their prime was the same guy.

Absoloutley ridiculous nonsense

8 years past prime

He was THIRTY

[hugh grant]

I'm sure Tyson could answer many questions about himself. I'm sure he's done many interviews but has anyone asked him the questions.? I'm sure bed be honest.
Someone ask him how much he lost in prison. Or when did he stop training g properly?
Ask him where he places himself all time. Ask him has he ever been in ring with someone who he thought hit harder than himself. Sure there's other questions he's not been asked for whatever reason

[strykr619]

The one fight that stands out to me is the Bruno rematch.

To be honest, it didn't look like his skills diminished at all in that fight. Bruno stated before the second fight that he was more prepared this time around as he knew what to expect and yet Tyson dispatched of him quicker than the first fight.

So what gives with people saying he was a shell of his self after prison?

Have you ever served time? Tyson served 70% of his sentence in solitary.

That messes with your psyche. Read his autobio, the prison didn't know what to do with him because was being challenged DAILY so they thru him in the hole.

I did 2 years in California YA before i turned 18 and they let me joined the Military as part of my plea bargain (this was the early 90's and back then you could still get a waiver to join the Military if your prison record was before you were an adult).

4 stints in confinement 2 weeks at a time and i thought i was gonna go crazy.... You have no clue how rough that is on you mentally .