Tyson vs Mercer

Why not prime for prime? Tyson TKO 4. Mercer's chin was depleted
By then. Tyson still could endure horrific punishment. Mikes
power too much, ref stops it with Mercer against the ropes.

 

Awesome matchup if it had happened.

Prime Tyson wins because he was much faster, better conditioned, and had better defensive skill.

However, I think post prison Tyson loses to Mercer, because Ray had a granite chin and was still live and frisky and could carry his power late in those years, whereas I think Tyson was not the same anymore after prison. That is if we are talking about the Mercer who fought Lewis and Holyfield.

Either way, it would have been a very entertaining bombs away affair. Could have been the modern Foreman-Lyle. Or a distance fight where both are badly bruised and damaged/ruined/puffed up and bloodied pulps at the end.

 

Which prime Ray Mercer are we talking about......the one that got outboxed and outpunched by Jesse Ferguson? Or the Killer that was ***** slapped by 78 year old larry Holmes?

 

Mercer was an in and outer for sure. Obviously, out of shape he could be beat by journeymen. In shape he was hell on earth to anyone.

Holmes was a phenomenal champion with wonderful skill, speed, ring generalship, at any age. Sort of like a Jack Johnson - in shape, even at an old age he could school a lot of guys.

A fight with Tyson would have been a totally different style. Holmes was a defensive expert who used some rope a dope, defense, and sharpshooting tactics to school Mercer. Tyson was more of an offensive attacking fighter, with less focus on the D. Totally different fight. A Mercer-Tyson fight would have looked more like Mercer's fights with Morrison or Cooper. Two guys blasting away at each other.

 

In 2002, Mercer KO's Tyson and then Mike loses his big payday with Lennox.

 

At this point in their careers,Tyson's slightly busier workrate sees him through to a boring decision victory. Neither man had very much left.

 

I don't think Mercer's young enough to break a declined Tyson

 

If Mercer would have fought Tyson in 1996, Tyson would have lost, but in 2002 Mercer was shot and the early 90's mercer would have lost to Tyson also i think.

 

He was in shape for the Ferguson rematch, and still barely won.
I guess Ferguson was his "BoogeyMan".

 

What happened to Mercer in 1997 ?

He was coming off the back of his best fights in 1995-1996 and then he just fell off the radar.

 

prime Tyson was some 15 years younger than "prime" Mercer .
Very ignorant question @ stake .
"Old" Tyson was still 5 years younger than old (really) Mercer .
Still a stupid question .
Want 2 make it a fairer question ? how about 1997 Tyson vs 1992 Mercer ? both 31 years old and still close 2 prime . salty trunks claimed that Tyson was better conditioned 4 Holyfield #2 than he was 4 Holyfield #1 .