The build-up of Mike Tyson

Discussion in 'Classic Boxing Forum' started by Conn, Jan 27, 2012.


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  1. Conn

    Conn Well-Known Member banned Full Member

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    The introduction to this original broadcast of Tyson v Mitch Green is quite fascinating, and should be even more so for those of you who weren't following boxing back in 1986 ....

    starting at 3:40, Jacobs and Cayton talking about the marketing techniques in building up Tyson, and the careful picking of opponents, and maximizing his fan base .... followed by Tyson already seeming to acknowledge the bittersweet effects of be treated as a commodity ....

    [ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ygQ0nsLoTbM[/ame]



    Tyson was massively hyped from the get-go at the time. Even more so than Cooney. Jacobs and Cayton were geniuses.
    It's a great trip down memory lane to see this stuff again.

    thanks to Kaddafi99 for upload on youtube
     
    Conn, Jan 27, 2012
    Conn, Jan 27, 2012
    #1
  2. ironchamp

    ironchamp Boxing Addict Full Member

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    Tyson's popularity certainly benefitted from the marketing of Jim Jacobs and Bill Cayton but ultimately his style and success was always going to add to him becoming box office gold.
     
    ironchamp, Jan 27, 2012
    ironchamp, Jan 27, 2012
    #2
  3. TAC602

    TAC602 Well-Known Member Full Member

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    Isn't too difficult to market the best combination of power and speed the glamour division had ever seen. There was really little difference in the results against handpicked journeyman and top rated fighters.
     
    TAC602, Jan 27, 2012
    TAC602, Jan 27, 2012
    #3
  4. janitor

    janitor VIP Member Full Member

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    To be fair, even then it was obvious that there was something special.
     
    janitor, Jan 27, 2012
    janitor, Jan 27, 2012
    #4
  5. Guyfawkes

    Guyfawkes Than who was phone?! Full Member

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    Tyson was and is a very talented fighter, and an ATG for sure, but nobody can deny that he is easily the most hyped fighter of all times.
     
    Guyfawkes, Jan 27, 2012
    Guyfawkes, Jan 27, 2012
    #5
  6. Sangria

    Sangria You bleed like Mylee Full Member

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    There's a reason for that. The proof is in the pudding and for our eyes to see. He's no hype job, if that's what you're endorsing?
     
    Sangria, Jan 27, 2012
    Sangria, Jan 27, 2012
    #6
  7. TAC602

    TAC602 Well-Known Member Full Member

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    Tyson's peak was well over 20 years ago.

    Where's the latest Tyson and why can't they recreate him. Boxing needs one.
     
    TAC602, Jan 27, 2012
    TAC602, Jan 27, 2012
    #7
  8. TAC602

    TAC602 Well-Known Member Full Member

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    Stick a peak Tyson in today's game and all this Pac/Mayweather stuff is incinerated on impact.
     
    TAC602, Jan 27, 2012
    TAC602, Jan 27, 2012
    #8
  9. Sangria

    Sangria You bleed like Mylee Full Member

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    Exactly!
     
    Sangria, Jan 27, 2012
    Sangria, Jan 27, 2012
    #9
  10. TAC602

    TAC602 Well-Known Member Full Member

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    Is it not true?

    People give Heavyweights such **** with all the P4P rage of the last 20+ years. No. You have a superstar caliber HW Champion with real skills and best believe you'll find yourself on the undercard. Small time. It's relative to Nothing, Only real life. :lol:

    There's a reason that title was, for decades on end, the most prestigious prize in sports. :deal
     
    TAC602, Jan 27, 2012
    TAC602, Jan 27, 2012
    #10
  11. Conn

    Conn Well-Known Member banned Full Member

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    Actually there was, for quite some time.
    Tillis and Green were steps up, and Tyson couldn't KO them. Straight after those two fights Jacobs and Cayton went right back to matching him with lower-level guys and small guys, and Marvis Frazier was a very shrewd choice stylistically. Then Ribalta took Tyson 10 rounds too.
    Going in to the Berbick fight, Tyson's performances against anyone semi-ranked were not devastating.

    The Berbick fight was a major revelation, Tyson proved he could KO a top fighter in 2 devastating rounds. Before that it was all hype, now it had more substance.
    Still, it was followed by the awful Smith fight, the good Thomas fight (where Tyson scored a great KO but also showed plenty of weaknesses in the mid-rounds), and the Tucker fight .... he unified the titles with 2 decisions and 1 KO ... this went against the hype that had been sold the public .... it was still looking like he wasn't necessarily a great KO artist at the top level.

    I think it was the run of fights after the Tucker fight that really cement him as a fighter who KOs top opposition. Carl Williams and Michael Spinks in 90 seconds each, Tubbs 2 rounds, Holmes 4 rounds etc.

    The interesting thing is that Jacobs and Cayton didn't just "handpick journeymen", they picked lower-level opponents who stylistically would make the best KO fodder, with the explicit intention of marketing the fighter with the VHS "highlight reel" method.
    At the same time, they had guys like Wally Matthews in the press putting out copy on how Tyson is the "next legend".
    Meanwhile, obviously Tyson and Rooney were having to do the real job in the gym.
     
    Conn, Jan 28, 2012
    Conn, Jan 28, 2012
    #11
  12. Conn

    Conn Well-Known Member banned Full Member

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    Of course he was a hype job.
    That doesn't mean he didn't have some substance to back up the hype, but the LEGEND of Tyson was built before he'd even fought anyone.
     
    Conn, Jan 28, 2012
    Conn, Jan 28, 2012
    #12
  13. TAC602

    TAC602 Well-Known Member Full Member

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    Mitch Green was a funny guy.

    [ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z5cJsgKiiEo&feature=youtube_gdata_player"]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z5cJsgKiiEo&feature=youtube_gdata_player[/ame]
     
    TAC602, Jan 28, 2012
    TAC602, Jan 28, 2012
    #13
  14. Sangria

    Sangria You bleed like Mylee Full Member

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    Tyson was not a hype job, that's someone like Audley Harrison. He was the real ****in deal. He fought everyone in the division there was to fight and handily beat them all before things got murky. So what was the LEGEND of Tyson then? Did he not do what he was supposed to do? What everyone thought he was going to do? Give me a break!
     
    Sangria, Jan 28, 2012
    Sangria, Jan 28, 2012
    #14
  15. TAC602

    TAC602 Well-Known Member Full Member

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    Yeah, I didn't really follow that last one.

    He'd make a point about how Tyson was all hype, then counterpoint the previous statement based on what Tyson did.

    Like two or three times.
     
    TAC602, Jan 28, 2012
    TAC602, Jan 28, 2012
    #15
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