How would this play out? Tyson's stamina and heart weren't so hot in the late 90s. He often got frustrated and discouraged when his opponents hung in there. How would he fare against the Don Cockell who lasted 9 rounds against Marciano? Personally, I'm not sure how this would go because I don't see this version of Tyson lasting 9 rounds with anyone and winning.
The 1997 version of Tyson would still slay Cockell like prey in the woods inside 5 rds.... Probably 3 rds... Cockell is not 1997 Holyfield.... Tyson was ready to kill in June 1997, and he would've beaten just about anyone else in the division in 1997, besides maybe Foreman....? I just reviewed "Marciano-Cockell" the other night.... Cockell was a tuff bloke, but not really a great fighter above 175 pounds... Cockell was tubby against the solid Rock in 1955.... Rocky had an off night and was slowing down by 1955.... Still, '97 Tyson at 218 ripped pounds runs thru '55 Cockell like a hot knife through butter.... MR.BILL:bbb:hat
marciano was a slow starter where as mike tyson always was a great fast starter. The night don fought marciano it was his title shot and he went through the pain barrier to give his all, the fight ruined him. Against tyson he would be just as game but he would have to get through those first 2 rounds and if he did hes not winning. don took savage bombs from marciano so he would take some from tyson but he would get way more early on and get beaten to the punch. I think 97 Tyson was still a great fighter, the shock of having a competative fight after so many years brought him down a peg or so but holyfeild was on a mission that night. Tyson still fought prety well under fire. At that stage it was all about geting past 5 rounds with tyson and there is a lot of good fighters who would not go so far with him at that point. Tyson was not done at as a fighter until it was only 50-50 a durable guy would last past the 4 round mark. The mistake he made after fighting holyfeild as he got older was fighting heavier younger fighters with ambition when he should have stuck to the larry holmes and george foreman type opponets. he could have waited until chris byrd or a smaller guy had the title but the guy was a lose cannon. he wasnt shrewd like selective george. and he never adapted his style.
Cockell was not a HW period, but an unhealthy tubby fighter with glandular trouble. He was a very good boxer and displayed his worth at L-HW and HW, but it'd have to be an off Tyson forsure to lose to Cockell, IF so, then Cockell could beat him as some lesser fighters ended up doing. But any version of a great & very good Mike punishes him!
Well, gentlemen, I am not a lowly, disgusting, vile, grotesque, lice-infested, flea-ridden Tyson fan. That said, I figure he would last more than three rounds with Cockell (unlike he would with Ali or any prime ATG) and probably quit with his ***** absence of heart, around the sixth or seventh round, as he always did when he couldn't knock a man out in the first four, being a four-round, chinny banger with no skill or adaptability that is essentially a Listonesque yellow-bellied bully. Again, I'm not a Tyson fan, exactly, just so we're clear.
Tyson was a mere shadow of his 1988 self,but would still have more than enough left to beat Don Cockell.