Who could beat Mike Tyson in his prime?

Firpo was in fantastic condition, not doughy at all, and yes I believe he is comparable to Alex Steward. Fulton is a better puncher than most of them as well.

There are some men on this Earth born with ungodly talents

Marciano was one of them. All of his contemporaries couldn't even believe the punishment he walked through. Most referees couldn't even tell if he was hurt when those jolting shots landed. Tyson himself said his KO of Walcott was the hardest shot he ever saw in the ring. When Tyson took the punishment Marciano took, he either got stopped or tried to cheat. Usually both. He detested fights that went past the 6th, Marciano wasn't tired in the 15th.

 

Marciano was tougher than Tyson. He had more heart, will to win etc. It's a simple fact. He climbed off the canvas to win.
With that said it I agree with you in that in this case it wouldn't come down to that. Tyson is too big, fast and even more skilled.
It's gonna be big truck, little truck.

 

Tyson vs Marciano would be the most anti climatic let down in Heavy history.......this would make Foreman/Frazier look competitive. There are zero intangibles in that fight except marciano seeing stars.

Marciano got absolute nothing on Tyson, he would wake up in the dressing room asking why am I here.....he was decked by grandpa light Heavy Pensioners....Tyson walked like a knife thru butter with old man Holmes who had ten times more in the tank then Marcianos AARP recipients.

 

I see Mike decisioning Rocky (though I consider RM the overall greater ATG). I do think Rocky would have rocked him with the right more than few times and possibly knocked him down.

I don't see Mike knocking out Rocky, the guy had way too much heart for that. I don't even think he would have knocked out Norton, though there would have been an early TKO of Ken I think.

 

How did Tyson walk through Holyfield whom isn’t nearly as good as Marciano was? Marciano beats Tyson if he could make it past the 6 period. Hell any of the greats listed do as well. It’s just a matter of can they? Marciano certainly can. Although I probably shouldn’t waste my breath with you.

 

Climbing off the canvas after a decrepit geriatric lightheavy Moore puts you there and climbing off the canvas after a prime 6-5, 250 pound Lewis puts you there are two entirely different proposals.

False equivalency.

 

Or fringe contender Buster Douglas, or medium puncher Evander Holyfield who's supposed to be custom made for Tyson?

Hell he couldn't even get up to win against McBride, who is and always will be a journeyman nobody. I don't care if that's shot Tyson, McBride was **** enough for the opportunity

Archie Moore was a terrific heavyweight contender, good power, great puncher overall, and was on a 20+ win streak over highly touted Heavyweights.

No need to mention Walcott, who was better than Douglas on any night of Buster's life

 

Gun to my head and I'm picking Tyson there. Cus trained Mike to slay that style of fighter. It's the style Tyson was most accustomed to beating. But of course it's Ali and not Biggs or Tillis in there. Best HW fantasy match up of all time with Louis-Liston being 2nd.

Louis, Ali, Holmes and Tyson should be the Mount Rushmore of heavyweights. There wasn't a style they didn't or couldn't beat.

 

I favor 60's clay, holyfield at his best, liston at his best over Tyson 7/10. All 3 have a combination of insane mental fortitude/toughness, skill, endurance, and the combination punching to frustrate and bully tyson even at his best. He is simply not going to win a decision over holyfield and especially clay and he isn't knocking them out in a million years. Liston at his best (in shape, no drugs or alcohol and motivated) is basically tysons big brother and would out Tyson his successor almost every time. He could either batter Tyson with his jab and get the decision or simply beat the dog turds out of him. Tyson never dealt with a slugger who had stamina, power in both hands, good ring generalship, and good body attacks and combinations. He's a nightmare.

Prime foreman and Lennox at their best are 6/10 or 50/50 depending on how i feel at the moment but generally i slightly favor them due to their pulverizing jabs, size, strength, etc. Tyson would have no answer for foreman up close, he'd need to fight the perfect fight and fancy his speed and head movement rather than slug it out (get in, get out, use angles and combinations, etc). Against Lennox he would have to attack the body and make the bigger man tired. Make him miss with his jab, stay at long range on purpose so that Lennox will waste energy trying to time him. Both strategies require that Tyson be patient and not get dragged into a fire fight or let the 2 behemoths dictate the pace and range. The moment he crumbles under the pressure and loses patience, its over.

Wladmir Klitschko, Holmes, and Bowe at their best are 50/50 fights. Depending on the game plan/corner they could potentially pull off a unanimous decision or late stoppage. But I cant favor any of them over 100% focused Tyson they each have major weaknesses he could exploit.

70's Ali is a wild card. If he gets in Tyson's head and is in shape, he clowns him and wins a lopsided decision or late TKO. Otherwise, Ali loses in an ugly and underwhelming performance. You never know which Ali would show up in this decade.

 

I think Mike would knock down 70s George in a freaking amazing slugfest of Lyle proportions. But Mike would get caught coming in and get knocked cold inside of 2 imo.

It would be incredible to see those guys get pissed off at each other, but Foreman was just too big. Mike was a MUCH better defensive fighter, but he wasn't afraid to lose some caution and scrap. That would have spelled his end real quick imo.

All that said, it's possible Mike would have been more than prepared (especially while Cus was still alive) and made a better fight of it.

I dunno, Holy and Douglas knocked him silly. Foreman would have wrecked him imo. Comatose.

 

Tyson never got off the canvas to win a fight in his entire career. Nor did he ever rally back from behind to win a fight. He stopped trying to win in the Lewis fight midway through the 2nd round.
Be serious please. Marciano had a ton more heart.

 

Stay off the sauce......

The ghost of Mike Tyson took numerous flush full bore right hands from Lennox Lewis and was not comatose.......rahman took ONE and counted sheep to 100......

No somehow functional version of Tyson will ever be stopped in two.....will never happen

It is also comical that you believe that Foreman would walk thru any incoming from Tyson or that Tyson would never land......if handyman Lyle can make Foreman do the funny dance Tyson is giving him the sleepy dance.

 

Sonny Liston brings nothing to table Tyson had not seen before.......a jab, some power , slow as molasses, easy to hit.....not even a Big guy by 80's standards..............btw liston was always on either drugs or booze....the proof is in the pudding........it is a also a fact that he quit twice when he met a green Clay who I call the first legit Superheavy.

On the other hand Liston has never ever encountered a fighter of Tysons caliber except Clay....

Similar fight then the Pinklon Thomas fight.....Liston is simply too slow of foot and hand , he gets beat to the punch every single time.

 

Remind us again what prime ATG heavyweight Tyson beat?

 

If Frank Bruno can stop buckle Tyson and stop him in his tracks imagine what Foreman would do.