Prime Tyson is very underrated

The best defense is effectively making guys miss and hitting them in one motion all in the same frame . No one did this better then Tyson ,he’s the best defensive heavyweight of all time ,it’s not even close when you consider he was standing right in front of you on your chest and you were wowed when someone landed on him before he knocked them out . That’s how you know he has to be in anyone’s top 10 who is a real boxing historian ,those who don’t can’t really call themselves knowledgeable on boxing, and if you were around while he was boxing there would be no excuses not to , sorry.

 

I'm not, but it's obvious that Holmes looked better against Holy than against Tyson, his timing was dreadful against Mike

 

He's overrated by the general public, underrated by the boxing hipsters.

He was a beast in his prime, one of the most awesome offensive fighters of all time. He had his weaknesses, but then there wasn't a HW in history who didn't have them. He also had a very short prime, which you can put down to whatever you like, but for those few years he was able to put it all together he was incredible. A H2H nightmare for anyone.

He was also, IMHO, one of the hardest punching HWs of all time, another aspect of his game which tends to get downplayed.

 

Holmes was rusty, but his age shouldn't be brought up here considering how long he went on to keep fighting for. And Tyson is still the only man to ever knock Holmes out, which needs to be taken into account when evaluating the win.

Spinks wasn't beaten in the dressing room. He was beaten when Tyson knocked him out in the first.

 

As a pro yes, was KO1'd twice in ams by same south paw.

 

Part of the Mike prime was the fear factor he carried and it's psychological effect on opponents. Spinks being the most glaring example of a guy who was KO'd in the changing room.

 

Nick Wells? I don't count amateur losses. Tua got KOed by Savon.

Holmes fought Shavers, Cooney, Witherspoon, Mercer, Holyfield and McCall (the last three as an out of shape old man) and was never stopped. Tyson obliterated him.

 

He was KOed in the changing room? How'd they manage to revive him so quickly in time to walk into the ring?

Spinks may have been scared out of his wits, but it was still Tyson's fists getting the job done. To say otherwise unfairly denigrates the win.

 

So you don't count e.g Lewis's gold medal in Seoul? Amateur record is part of a fighter's history, warts n all in Holmes's case. I give Mike plenty credit for the KO (one of his best displays) but Holmes was 39 and washed up. Not near the fighter either Klit was at that same age anyway.

 

It's meant to denigrate Spinks, not Tyson. Spinks choked big time due to fear.

 

Washed up fighters don't go on to beat Ray Mercer at 42 and give Oliver McCall a close fight at age 45. Holmes may have been rusty, I can accept that, but he wasn't washed up.

I think way too much is made of Holmes's decrepit state going into this fight. He was still a solid name and Tyson dealt with him in exactly the way he should have done.

 

Regardless it still downplays Tyson's win, somehow implying he wouldn't have won as easily if Spinks had been able to hold it together.

But what evidence do we even have that Spinks choked? Ninety seconds is hardly much to go on.