How much of Mike tyson s potential did we see?

I would say that its swings and roundabouts concerning his early success - yes he was prodigious , alone in fact at garnering a HW title fresh of high school (thin about that - would you want to face some of the baddest men on the planet after leaving school? come on!)

But starting early probably cut his career short in that he maybe began to believe in his own legend when he should have been busy adding to it whislt keeping his feet on the ground. If he'd started later, maturing, he might have stayed at the top longer.

The way things panned out, he didnt develop the maturity to handle a long career. Guy was still partly a child in his head when he was heading titlewise.

 

It is ironic that Tyson has gone from being overrated to underrated. It is ironic that his stunning success as a knockout artist ultimately prevented him from further development as a fighter. There was never a plan B because it seemed that there would never be a need for one. The KO artist never became a warrior or a complete fighter. That being said, the Tyson that destroyed Berbick may have been one of the greatest fighters who ever lived.

 

Lol Tyson is the only fight who could destroy old Holmes and Spinks? I think you mean he is the only one who did. Tua, Foreman, Bowe, Lewis, Wlad and Vitali Klistcko would destroy old Holmes and blown up light heavweight Spinks too.

Because Tyson fought in a era that was weak and one the belt young it means something? You think a 20 to 21 year old Foreman, Lewis, Wlad couldn't beat Berbick? You are out of your damn mind but clearly you are one of those Tyson fans who will always make excuses for him and try to act like whatever did was more impressive than it was.

 

Keep him out of jail, highly motivated and on the straight and narrow and he's going to hold his peak a bit longer, obviously.

His style was never one for great longevity but he could have got a couple more good years out for sure.

The flip side is he would have had some serious opposition heading his way in Holyfield, Bowe and Lewis.

I believe he would have got past Douglas so Holyfield would loom almost immediately. Holyfield has a hard to pin sort of peak and prime. This fictional Tyson would have had a better chance at Holyfield and would be a massive favorite but Holyfield would be right in it. Would Holyfield come up with the same brilliant tactics that offset Tyson's offense so effectively? They would have been effective against any version of Tyson but Holyfield would have had a different trainer as well at that point. I'd favor Holyfield.

So much would depend on the Holyfield results but i think Tyson would have been waning by the time Lewis really picked it up, certainly after he got with Steward and shored up. Bowe was a bit earlier and whether champ or looking to regain he and Tyson would have met with both prime. I think Tyson in near peak nick would beat Bowe.

The real question for me is Holyfield. This would dictate his success and legacy. If he's still peak with no drama's and can't get past Holyfield he is going to take a big hit, and Holyfield is going to rocket. The way it stands he was obviously way past peak when they fought and many still believe the best Tyson could win. At any rate Tyson proponents can say he never beat prime Tyson.

If Tyson can't get past Holyfield he's stuck. If he does he might cut a bit of a swathe for a few years.

 

He burned brightly, but quickly.

He was King for a while, and made the ATG list by age 23.

Which was better than most pugilists.

 

Given that his body at 12 was that of a (well-developed) 18 year old, I'd say he'd have been finished as an elite fighter at maybe 28 - when his physical age might have been mid 30's.

If he'd kept his motivation and not squandered his complete package of physical gifts he'd perhaps be considered top 3 greatest heavyweights of all time.

 

If Tony Tucker didn't have a broken hand the bubble may have been burst before. If Biggs wasn't a recovering addict maybe he would have boxed Tyson's head off. If Trevor Berbick wasn't drugged maybe Tyson wouldn't have knocked him out. If Larry Holmes didn't get his arm stuck in the rope he would have survived the round and maybe he could have made a comeback. Lots of if's around Mike Tyson.....

 

I think Tyson,up to the Michael Spinks bout,could n't have got much better than he actually was. What we would have seen was Tyson maintaining that peak a few years longer than he actually did had he kept Rooney and/or continued to practice what Cus D'Amato taught him.

 

Don't be a moron.

 

We saw Tyson get as good as he was ever going to get. Which is to say, pretty damn good.

What he could have benefitted from was somebody to keep his nose clean, in the gym, and out of trouble.

He was unquestionably a lot worse in his later career than in his prime, and he never regained that form.

 

The Jinx would outfox Tua, Wlad and vits.

 

I dont think he married into the family but Don was certainly his godfather for a while.

 

True, very true.