Does Mike Tyson belong in the same category as Muhammad Ali, Sonny Liston, and Jack Dempsey?

Discussion in 'Classic Boxing Forum' started by mark ant, Feb 11, 2020.



Should Tyson be rated alongside Dempsey, Ali and Liston?

  1. Tyson proved he was as great as any heavyweight ever

    22 vote(s)
    68.8%
  2. Tyson doesn`t deserve a place at the top

    7 vote(s)
    21.9%
  3. Dempsey, Liston and Ali wee all better than Tyson

    3 vote(s)
    9.4%
  1. Bokaj

    Bokaj Obsessed with Boxing Full Member

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    Ah, you're right. Sloppy of me.
     
  2. BitPlayerVesti

    BitPlayerVesti Boxing Drunkie Full Member

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    I think there's a fair argument Liston did better than Foreman against Ali, despite fighting a vastly better version
     
  3. ETM

    ETM I thought I did enough to win. Full Member

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    He was as good as Liston. Above Dempsey and not quite in Ali's rare air.
     
  4. ETM

    ETM I thought I did enough to win. Full Member

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    Liston was avoided by the Champion for a few years. Sonny was the best heavyweight on the planet for several years before he got chance. Tyson had different circumstances multiple beltholders.
     
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  5. ETM

    ETM I thought I did enough to win. Full Member

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    I watched the first fight in Miami not that long ago. Honestly I dont think Sonny trained much for Clay/Ali. He was in 3 round shape. Liston looked bad but not as sloppy as Foreman in Africa.
     
  6. Rock0052

    Rock0052 VIP Member Full Member

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    It looked to me like Sonny lost his hunger once he became champ. I'm not sure how him winning a belt sooner would've fixed that, but it means I don't feel comfortable giving him credit for a title reign that only happened in theory.
     
  7. ETM

    ETM I thought I did enough to win. Full Member

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    He still cleaned out the division. He just had to do it as a contender because he was avoided.
     
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  8. mark ant

    mark ant Canelo was never athletic Full Member

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    Yes but George destroyed Frazier, that was quite awesome.
     
  9. mark ant

    mark ant Canelo was never athletic Full Member

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    No Foreman landed far more shots v Ali than Liston did and Ali said he was shocked at how well Foreman cut the ring off in his first round v Ali something Liston couldn`t do at all. The rumble was a far more exciting fight than Ali`s fight v Liston which was completely one sided.
     
  10. Dance84

    Dance84 Unicorn and seastar land Full Member

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    what win do you think is better foreman over fraizer or liston over patterson
     
  11. mark ant

    mark ant Canelo was never athletic Full Member

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    Foreman over Frazier, Patterson didn`t offer much and stood in front of Sonny, Frazier landed a great hook on George but George used his strength to push him to the outside and destroyed him.
     
    Last edited: Feb 12, 2020
  12. Ken Ashcroft

    Ken Ashcroft Boxing Addict Full Member

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    So you are saying that he was never the same again after the beating he received from Tyson? :cool1:

    To be fair to Thomas, he was out of the ring for about a year and a half after the Tyson defeat and then was matched up in his first fight back with Evander Holyfield, who was been groomed then as the best future hope of upsetting the seemingly invincible Tyson. Thomas clearly had deteriorated even further from his championship days when he met Holyfield but still showed a solid chin and it was Holyfield that was criticised post fight for not being about to knock down Thomas even though he was hitting Thomas solidly for seven one-sided rounds before Thomas was retired on his stool before the eight round. Thomas was probably a shot fighter by then and disappeared in long periods of inactivity. He was reduced to a kind of a stepping stone opponent for young prospects when he did occasionally re-surface and was stopped by Riddick Bowe in 1990 and Tommy Morrison in 1991.
     
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  13. Ken Ashcroft

    Ken Ashcroft Boxing Addict Full Member

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    Maybe it was because it was so one-sided but it’s hard to recall Frazier landing any notable punch on Foreman in the couple of rounds that it lasted.
     
  14. mark ant

    mark ant Canelo was never athletic Full Member

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    He came closer than Patterson, a hook just missed Foreman which was the point Foreman decided he needed to end it.
     
  15. Ken Ashcroft

    Ken Ashcroft Boxing Addict Full Member

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    When did Patterson fight Foreman?