I dont think a post Douglas Tyson was overrated, he was probably still the best or 2nd best heavyweight in the world. Post prison Tyson is severly overrated. Just look at the boxing magazines coming out at the time. 'maybe the champs should just give Tyson the belts instead', there was wayyyy too much Tyson nuthugging at the time. People seemed to have forgotten than Tyson was already on the slide prior to prison, but the 4 years away allowed people to forget that. in the end, instead of having a well planned comeback ala Foreman, Tyson was rushed straight into the limelight and yes for a short while it looked like Tyson was 'back', but then Holyfield exposed all of that. I find it disgusting that after 'beating' Mcneeley Tyson was automatically ranked number 2 by the WBC (mentioned during the Mathis fight). Had Tysons post prison career been managed much more carefully and taken slowly, he may still have lost to Holy but the fight would have been alot more competitive. Imagine a more well prepared Tyson, whose shook off alot of ring rust and got his confidence back and fought more quality opposition vs Holyfield around 98/99. The funny thing is the 'bums' Tyson fought (Mcneeley and Mathis) put up a better fight than the 'champs' Tyson won the belts off (Seldon and Bruno).
Exactly...guys like Seldon and Bruno made Tyson look like he was still as good and intimadating as pre Douglas.The media hype fuelled all that as well.By his own admission Tyson was finished after the Douglas fight.For some reason guys like Seldon and Bruno capitulated when they had everything in their favour..Tyson has said so himself....Bruno froze...his corner were telling him 'this is what you wanted..what are you doing'....but he couldnt get past the Tyson hype...Mike was awesome 86-88...overated gigantically after...he was the Phil Taylor of boxing...he was past it before opponents realised he was past it....
I'm starting to think Ali is up there somewhere. Obviously, he's in elite company if not the greatest heavyweight of all time. What gets me is the notion that he would beat every other heavyweight. He had a really spotty career and only had a short period of dominance against limited fighters. When the more capable fighters of 70s rolled out, he took loses and scrapped out wins. Plenty of other fighters have been more dominant and for longer stretches.
take some of the best heavyweights ever, take out 3 years of their prime, then bring them back and put them in with the likes of Foreman and Frazier etc. you can cross Tyson and Foreman, off the list straight away.
Sounds to me like an excuse that Rock Newman made to cover up that it was a duck. The reason that explanation makes no sense is because Bowe would have very likely made more money fighting Lewis in one night than he would have in both the Dokes and Mercer fights ( Ferguson upset Mercer and got the match.) So having to pay some fee wouldn't have been that big of a deal.. Any defending champion whoever turned down a mandatory challenge did so because of some alleged business or political reason.. But Bowe passing up on Lewis was one heavyweight boxing's biggest ducks.
Me, too. I did a thread on Ali-Terrell, saying I wasn't overly impressed with Ali. Mildenberger and Cooper also gave Ali trouble. People watch the Williams fight and don't know the background to the fight. I was more impressed with Ali's win over Folley, even though Zora was past his best.
I would be inclined to agree if we are talking ring results and skills based on where historians rate them.
When Mike Tyson fought with Lennox Lewis, "Iron Mike" was a very, very, very overrated boxer. www.teniendoexito.com