Tyson's loss of footwork/footspeed major cause of his decline?

I know a lot has been said about many factors behind Tyson's decline from the Catskill days i.e.

Death of Cus
Death of Jacobs
Leaving Kevin Rooney
Joining Don King
Abandoning the Road Work which his style heavily demanded

One thing that has always struck me the most whenever i watch Tyson fights before Prison and after Prison is just how flat footed he is. Absolutely no speed in his legs and no aggressive movement side to side to create awkward angles to find openings for punches or combinations.

While his punching accuracy and timing were all gone after prison, His punching speed (which also was not pre-prison levels) was still decent and the combination which finished Bruno was vintage Tyson but all in all when i watch the Holyfield fight, the one thing i notice among many things is just how flat footed Tyson is compared to Holyfield.

For someone with such a short height, reach and someone whose entire game was dependent on rushing in at the speed of light to launch punches combinations, loss of foot speed, foot work is a determining factor.

With his attributes he couldn't have fought on the outside.

 

I think his devolution as a fighter was more about skill erosion than physical decline, to be honest.

 

Like Joe Frazier, I think the high energy style in order to get inside on taller heavyweights, i.e., couching, head movement, foot speed, is hard to maintain as a fighter, especially a heavyweight ages. I do think the other factors mentioned contributed in some fashion. I think he would of been better off with Rooney as his trainer who would have helped him adjust his style as he aged and ensured he was adequately conditioned before a fight.

If I remember, when Tyson came out of prison, he appeared to have added some muscle to his upper body and seemed to come into his fights a little heavier. I think this also affected his style with him trying to overpower his opponents with one or two shots instead of his devastating movement and combinations.

 

That's a point I agree with, that high energy style would have been difficult to maintain. That's why I wondered how he would have ended up in the 90's. I think his time would have been 86 to around 93 if he had all best intentions around him, shorter than you would think. Some seem to think prime Tyson would have went on and on beating everyone in the 90s, that's a big ask. I think once his physical gifts started slipping he would be in a bit of trouble. Bigger skilled guys like Lewis and Bowe could be a problem let alone Holyfield if he slowed down (assuming Bowe was at his best).

As it was Tyson seemed to be in a self-destructive pattern when he left his old team. It looked to some as if he was even trying to change his style after he left Rooney, maybe in defiance. Obviously a mistake if that was the case. Its easy to think that because he didn't do the stuff he used to, he knew his style and was still physical prime but dropped certain things. This was pointed out again and again but he still ignored the reviews of his fights and went for the big punch.

 

I agree with all of that, but I think that he declined even more precipitously than was necessitated by his physical decline because he stopped utilizing the skills that had made him so unstoppable. Less head movement, fewer combinations, etc.

 

A fighter like Tyson assuming he kept the same professionalism, discipline and the same Catskills team should have retired at 30 ie 1996.

This is the age by which the likes of Joe frazier, rocky Marciano, Henry Armstrong were finished.

 

And he still would have had the Douglas and Holyfield losses on his record, his legacy would have looked slightly better but he would have been poorer off....

 

Why not add Lewis, bowe and Foreman to the list as well?

 

Well because for one he never fought Bowe or Foreman and didn't fight Lewis till 02...

 

But he could have lost to them during his young years as well right if he didn't go to prison?

 

Yeah I think there's a good chance of that happening, prison IMO saved him from some possible losses.

 

The D'Amato system is based on reflexes. It worked for Tyson; poor Ricky Meyers (Rooney trained) got his a as kicked.
When his reflexes slipped the "system" quit working for Tyson and that was all he knew.

 

With his short reach and height, what other system would have worked for him especially against taller guys with bigger reaches?

Back in the 80's everyone was shocked as to how a younger shorter fighter with a smaller reach was making bigger, stronger and taller fighters look so ordinary.

 

Well maybe he was destined to have a short successful reign at the top if you can actually call it short. Nearly 4 years has champ isn't bad going really I suppose.

 

IF and it's a big if, he learned the James Toney feet in cement shoulder roll style he could have been successful with that. That style might only work for Toney though.