What if Tyson had just beaten everybody? Would it still matter than he had never come from behind to win? I am of the mindset that a fighter is great if the numbers add up. They you have to ask how many times he could theoretically have demonstrated it. Against Douglas or Holyfield perhaps. Anything after that and he is outside his psychological prime, and understand that fighters do have a finite psychological window, just as they have a finite physical window.
if he had beaten everyone that's great. The question would then be how did he win his toughest bouts. If he never tasted adversity and come back to win the question would still be what IF he were taken into deep waters? Does he have what it takes to not drown? The answer today is he did not have what it takes.
Oh really? Name me 20 world champion fighters that showed a psychological barrier by quitting fighting back when faced with adversity the way Tyson did, and I'll name you 50 that didn't.
Are you wary of rating Rocky Marciano highly, because we never saw how he would cope with the adversity of a devastating loss?
Everybody's psychological window is different, just as everybody's physical window is different. This is an important concept to understand.
Marciano was atop the division for a mere 3 years, defending the title 6 times against mostly older fighters. Tyson stood atop the division for 3 years and a couple months, beat 9 top contenders, mostly younger and bigger contenders... Don't tell me there is some grand difference.
Your interpreting the idea incorrectly. The idea is in a tough fight give and take do you rise to the occasion and win or do you cower, don't know what to do and lose? Marciano in bouts with Walcott and Charles proved his all time greatness in this regard.
Very easy to look great if your opposition is not fighting back. Marciano had tough opposition and he rose to every occasion to win. It's called Championship heart and will to win.
Old fighters ? This is your mania. Because he destroyed the 38 years old Holmes this doesn't mean he was an old fighter beater. Somehow the Tyson haters ignore other fighters' old opponent list. For example Holyfield:42 years old Holmes,42 years old Foreman, 46 years old Nielsen. W. klitschko:41 years old Mercer,40 years old Thompson, 39 years old Mormeck, 40 years old Botowamungu. Lewis:40 years old Weaver, V. Klitschko:38 years old Briggs,38 years old Sanders, Rahman:42 years old Berbick. Mccall:45 years old Holmes. Povetkin:39 years old Rahman. Try to say only one at least 39 years old Tyson opponent !
What? Are you an idiota ? Obviously you don't know Tyson's carrier. Lots of Tyson victim has heart ******. For example just an idiota can say Ribalta or Ruddock hadn't heart. Ruddock tried to fight with broken jaw and destroyed face. Basically your opinion works well in Lennox Lewis' or w. klitschko's case. Against Lewis only Vitali Klitschko showed heart.
What about your man Tyson, did he show heart against Lewis actually now that I think about it, never mind.
Rudduck was wayyyy overrated. One trick pony. Tyson did have excellent skills but he never showed an ability to take it up a notch when in a real fight. Instead he grew tentative, had no plan B and basically stopped fighting to win. This is his big X as a fighter. Huge negative mark when ranking him all time. Tough fight....he loses.
The truth is nobody gives a eff about your opinion, especially Tyson who could not care less , good or bad , he made history while nobody ever knew you even existed. Fact not Fiction The End
I do rate Rocky Marciano more highly, but purely based on their respective paper resumes. The facts that Tyson never came from behind to win, and that his opponents were often scared, do not feature in my calculation.
Douglas smashed Tyson to pieces. Tyson was 23 and champion of the world. Did any of the elite HW ATGs taste a similar type of defeat in their primes or lose the championship in such a manner ? The answer, I think, is NO. And that's why there are a thousand excuses thrown out to save Tyson's mythical reputation.