1 Billion: Is there a case of Tyson being a top 5 heavyweight? not in my opinion

[Mugwump]

I personally don't believe Tyson had any more or less fear than the average world class heavyweight in his prime.

It wasn't simply an issue of fear. Although fear (I think terror is a better word) was certainly a key factor. From an early age Tyson suffered from a panoply of psychological afflictions which stunted his character. This is the reason he was (and continues to be) weighed down with anti-depressants, mood inhibitors and other psychotropic drugs to the point where he rattled like a box of cornflakes when moving. Even in the sport of boxing where the best and worst aspects of human nature are magnified Tyson's issues could scarcely be described as "normal".

He certainly seemed rather less fearful than many of his opponents at that time.

Appearances can be deceptive. But don't take my word for it. See what Tyson has to say about his fears in the Tyson documentary. Pretty conclusive if you ask me. The man was terrified of being bullied. And when he was bullied he fell to pieces.

Would the Buster Douglas from Tokyo have beaten the very best version of Mike Tyson?

Again, we come back to the point Poet made. When you say "The very best version" - against what yardstick are you judging? Tyson's resume is pretty threadbare (I find it odd that some of Calzaghe's biggest critics are huge Tyson worshippers - despite both men facing similar standards of opposition). As for Douglas - comparing Mike that night with successive versions you'd have to say Buster was arguably closer to the mythical Tyson prime than any other fighter. And he coped pretty well.

Would 1996 Holyfield have beaten the very best version of Mike Tyson?

It might sound odd but Holyfield's intelligence was not in beating Tyson - it was fighting in such a way that set Mike's demons against himself. If ever a fighter had an opponent in the palm of his hand it was Holyfield with Tyson. Take any version of Tyson and the result would have been the same (barring some freak injury or accident).