I would say yes based on the fact I only see a handful of great heavies beating prime Tyson. I also think his accomplishments just edge it for him, he had a dominant reign and did this in such a memorable way it wont be forgotten for a LONG while. Even though Lennox and Holy ultimately got the better of him, Tyson is still the guy people will remember. Is that entirely right?, maybe not but the fact is he left such an impression during his prime that he deserves some recognition for it, enough to at least be in the latter half on the top ten? I wouldn't call anyone an idiot for not placing him there though, Mike did some major damage to his career post prison which cant be ignored either but I just think the man was a beast in his prime. when you look at it realisticly you have to see that he would have given any great fighter a hard night.
How many Tyson fights have you seen in your life? Spinks - and Mills Lane asked him to stop and it can be heard Thomas - a lengthy elbowing session sealed with a right hand Berbick - blistering elbow based combinations Bruno - quite a lot If I am not mistaken also: Holmes Tillis Fergusson Tubbs Even vs Mike Jameson I saw him throwing fluid elbow combinations vs McCall in sparring Was not that miss vs Etienne a landed elbow? Or did Etienne made it miss but got d idea? In which fights did he not throw elbows? Tucker when he was 2 short 2 land them Holyfield when he was physically not allowed, or m i wrong about this 1 Smith when he was both 2 short & clinched Douglas - big, mobile and punched back, but was it an elbow clean fight? Lewis - when sedated & tranquilized R U A liar or saw only 3-4 Tyson fights in your life which miraculously happened 2b d only fights in which he happened 2 somehow not throw elbows? & R U not d 1 whom claims Wladimir Klitschko should have his outcomes vs Haye & Povetkin turned 2 DQ losses because of mere clinching & leaning? elbowing is much worse. Worse than butting even. And Holyfield's defense was based on him lowering his head 2 protect his chin & using d earmuffs 2 block hooks (& elbows I guess) Holyfield's style was aggression & a defense aimed almost entirely on blocking power punches while ignoring jabs & eating them freely. Mayweather's use of elbows vs Hatton & Mosley was defensive: they were goring in face 1st. If anything elbows should b used 2 defend vs headbutts. ecto55 already put it in his words but u ignored it. Unlike Mayweather, Tyson was chasing his opponents in order 2 **** them wiz hiz elbows. Far worse. Lewis should have been DQd vs Grant. McCall should have been DQd vs Diaz Holmes cheated in Shavers #2, vs Holyfield and in another 2-3 fights. Holyfield & Tua never beat Rahman, at least in Toney #2 he got some justice. But in Tyson's case cheating was so common that clean fighting on his part is rare.
How could Mike Tyson be a Top 10 heavy all time if he is only the 4th best heavyweight of his era? Lewis, Holyfield and Bowe were better than him.
Ive seen them all . If he had to use an elbow in a few fights out of almost 40 in his prime its because a guy fouled him first by smothering him or holding his arms. There are only about 3 or 4 examples but you accuse me of only seeing 3 or 4 fight. Elbowing to beat Spinks. lol . You're a joke. You always were.
Also , these fools claim King had the refs bribed but Mike wasn't even with King when he was supposedly elbowing these guys to death. Idiots.
fouled him 1st, right. Of course. Spinks, Berbick & Thomas fouled him 1st. dinovelvet's word. Mark and remember his words next time u watch Tyson's fights during 1986-1989 If u want a better joke read my post after I edited it. Usually it does not get replied so fast, so notice u have more joke material 2 enjoy urself. correct about your King part. So someone else bribed d judges instead of King. Huge difference.
In his prime he was a sublime and singular force like had never been witnessed before or since in the fight game. He was on his way to being the greatest heavyweight ever until being derailed by the usual suspects: a certain sleazy promoter, greedy, blood sucking lecherous hangers on, a certain heartless actress and her venal mother, etc. That said, although his career was derailed from what it could have become he was still one of the greats nevertheless. I rank him in the lower half of the top ten all-time heavyweights.
He demolished some average fighters, knocked out an ancient Larry Holmes, got outboxed and destroyed by mediocre Douglas then went to prisonÂ…third-best heavyweight ever. That makes sense, right? :roll:
So, you are too intellectually chicken**** to name me a heavyweight who had a better 4 year run than Tyson from 85-89. That's basically how I read that abortion of response above. Bravo.
You are just angry because I'm not giving you the simple answer you are looking for. Being dominant over a bunch of tomato cans is meaningless. What Lennox Lewis did and Ali did was much more impressive because they actually stepped and fought class oppostiton and beat the best. By your logic Deontay Wilder is the best heavyweight in history.