Ray Arcel on Tyson - Spinks.

I think he died the," little death," a thousand times before the fight started.

 

There was nothing about spink s pre fight that looked confident .He knew what he was entering in to ,a blown up ,certainly past his best ,Light heavyweight .And up against a young killer who had a point to prove .I believe Spinks would have had to be brain dead not to feel over come with fear in that ring .

 

Spinks never lasted long enough to overcome his fear and get settled in.

Imo Holmes was timid at first also but was gaining in confidence before he got iced.

Lewis also seemed scared, or maybe a little hurt in round 1 the way he almost leaped onto Tyson to clinch him but he soon settled in and proceeded to turn tysons face into gulasch

 

No comment on this braindead fantasy,

but I think Spinks knew deep down that he didn´t possess the style or tools to handle Tyson. He got a little shakey against 87-Cooney as well, but was able to get himself together and came back. His power was ok for HWs, I´m not so sure about the durability. Tyson put him down with a body shot, mentioning that the bodyshot hit the proper spot with power.

Another thing eventuating in the debacle was Tyson beeing even more aggressive from the start. He was furious in that one. Does it have to do with the Rooney pocket bet? I don´t know. I´ve read Tyson yelling in the cabin that he was gonna kill Spinks.
Wasn´t there something with a delay of the fight in the Convention Hall as well?

I can see a Spinks - 90s (Tokyo) Tyson scenario with Spinks making it through some rounds due to Tyson shitty unsharp offense that night, letting Spinks shine much brighter here.

 

So are you denying Tyson was like Jack Dempsey??

 

I heard a quote from Spinks where he said he wasn't really scared as such, but when he looked across the ring at this "tree trunk" he wondered what he was doing there. I agree that all the pre fight hype didn't inspire confidence either, he just came across as someone that knew they were going to lose. when asked how he would beat Tyson he would do a nervous laugh, as if to say "how do i know!".

 

Spinks was flat out lying Rski.

Check out both his body language, pre-fight reports, & the way he fought.
He is a good man who lied to save face, & likely because men often delude themselves because their ego is too weak to handle being afraid.
Due to the internal as well as social stigma attached to fear.

But Tyson, Foreman & many other boxers have described dealing with fear.
Though they had been able to deal with it & greatly reduce or overcome it entirely in fights.
It is a natural, protective instinct.

Here is the undeniable admission by Spinks, the reversal where he admits his large amount of fear. Notice how he changes his story-to the Truth.

[url]Spinks Didn't Fight According to Plan - The New York Times[/url]
[url]www.nytimes.com/1988/06/28/sports/spinks-didn-t-fight-according-to-plan.html[/url]
Jun 28, 1988 - The Eagles Will Visit the White House After All ... And that preference resulted in Spinks being knocked out after only 91 seconds of the first round. ''I didn't ... The boxer comes in and tries to nail you with a good right hand. ... ''I never would've showed up for the fight if I had any fear, but I respect every man.

[url]MIKE TYSON vs. MICHAEL SPINKS (Closed Circuit) - KO Fight Posters[/url]
[url]www.kofightposters.com/boxing_memorabilia/display_item.php?id=935[/url]
Held at the Atlantic City Convention Hall in Atlantic City, New Jersey and promoted as ... Spinks later conceded that "fear was knocking at my door big time.

 

I don't know that it would been much different if Spinks weren't afraid.

 

I'm not really saying he was totally telling the truth, its just a quote that stuck with me. Spinks knew he was out of his depth. at the end of the day Spinks did try to fight Tyson when you look at the footage, so he wasnt so petrified he did nothing, he was trying to land but could barely get a chance the way Tyson was going at him. He was just over matched, scared or not. thats some interesting reading thanks for the articles.

 

That was an odd fight. The wait made is strange,, something delayed the fight I remember. And that body punch. Mike usually beat the smaller guys moving up easily.

 

Not entirely sure if it was a tactic by Butch Lewis or there was a legitimate concern, but in the prefight inspection in the dressing room, one of Spinks' trainers said he felt some strange lumps in Tyson's handwraps and insisted they be rewrapped ... this obviously didn't set well in the tense Tyson camp, so by the time it was ready to go, Mike was beyond fuming.

 

I remember, he punched a whole in a wall or something. In retrospect Spinks would not have lasted..

 

Nothing Spinks could have done.
Had he ran away Tyson would have cut him down quick with his speed like he did withtillmanand Ratliff.

Had he tried to fight him head on he would have been taken out even faster, which is what happened after the first KD. Spinks got off the floor and tried to back Mike up with a right hand and Mike countered with his own right hand and knocked him out.

Spinks also didn't have the strength to try to wrestle Tyson and tire him out and even if he spoiled Tyson would have still landed punches sporadically which Spinks didn't have the chin to take.
Tysons youth and hunger at that point in his career also don't allow outlasting Tyson as an option.