Great post but as for the Golota fight being an NC, that was in regards to Tyson's post fight drug test coming out positive, nothing to do with the actual fight in which he knocked Golota out. shattered his cheekbone, gave him a concussion, and a herniated disc. I can't see how this is anything but a positive for Mike.
I count 9 that he couldn't stop. Your'e not counting Golota and Seldon as KO's? In that case they shouldn't count in the total number at all. I e 10 KO's out of 19. The Golota fight was an NC because Tyson tested positive for pot and however you view the Seldon fight it's not fair to see it as a fight where he failed to KO his opponent. I also wouldn't say that Tillis and Green were "his best fights". Before prison I think I get his numbers to 9-4 against ranked opp (this is not including Tubbs and Holmes). Almost 80%. 12-7 if we include post prison fights against ranked opp. I think we get almost the same (11-6) if we count total fights for a title.
Personally for me Its J.Louis 1st, and Tyson a close 2nd. Louis's accuracy, speed, and ability to ko opponents without the wind up that's seen in Tyson that shades me for Louis. Louis's ability to get so much force and leverage on punches that seldom traveled more than a foot is without a doubt tops in heavyweight boxing history. And as I said earlier his accuracy and placement of punches were better than Tyson. Though Tyson undoubtedly hit harder, and had better ability to get it there with his foot speed. I wouldn't want to be on the receiving end by either man in their primes....
No I'm not including Golota because he got back up and left the ring. He was not counted out and it was ruled a NC that's not my problem. Seldon clearly took a dive the punch did not land and he didn't have a mark on him. Tillis is absolutely one of Tyson's best opponents. If not for the knock down you could argue a draw for Tillis or even a points win. No one made him struggle like that until the Douglas fight. I don't separate between pre and post prison. Tyson is the only fighter in history who gets this treatment. Even if we make adjustments for what you said, his KO% is still not that high against his best opponents. Ironically, Muhammad Ali has a better stoppage rate against his best opponents. Because golota wasn't counted out. He got off the floor and left the arena with garbage all over him and it was ruled a NC due to Mike's own negligence. Had he gotten the KO even with the weed in his system I would have given him some wiggle room but he didn't KO the opponent. The entire match was a farce.
You include Golota and Seldon in the total numbers but don't count them as KO's. So they have the same effect on his numbers as if they went the distance. Come on, I shouldn't have to explain to you why that's wrong. Tillis was unranked coming off three losses and Tyson wasn't even 20 and hadn't been pro for more than, what, six months? In no way was this among his best opponents or best fights. Neither was unranked Green shortly afterwards.
You're right i shouldn't include seldon and Golota in his total. Was Tillis one of Tyson's most difficult opponents, yes or no? You complain about me including a fight when Tyson was 19 implying he was "green" but the fight happened in 1986. Just 6 months later that same year he KO'd Trevor Berbick for the WBC belt which I gave him full credit for. So which is it? Was Tyson "green" and "too young" and I'm picking on him for failing to stop Tillis or was he close to being a finished product as evidenced by him becoming a world champion just a couple months later?
I objected to you saying Tillis was among his "best fights", but, definitely, he gave him one of his toughest fights. I had Tillis winning that fight, actually. And, yes, Tyson looked phenomenal against Frazier and Berbick not long after. Hard to know how steep that learning curve was, though. He was a bit of a freak case seeing how fast he developed. But sure, include them. But I think Holmes and Tubbs should be included too, even though they weren't ranked at that time. I would definitely include Golota. Tyson smashed his effing face, that he smoked weed before the fight is neither here not there. Seldon... Yeah, I'd include him as well even though the mofo hardly was hit. Tyson's speed and aggression in all likelihood had a lot to do with him folding like that. Was Etienne ranked btw? Maybe he should be included. Botha?
Is this a stoppage or KO(only)-artist thread? Don´t understand why so few mention George Foreman. If this is about all stoppages, 70s Foreman avaraged 0.5 rounds quicker than Tyson did in his 3X fights until Ali. He fought less title fights than MT, but met Frazier and Norton. We had all of this in another thread with @Dubblechin . Louis comes close, but got more UDs and took longer time for his stoppages at avr. rounds/opponent. But he fought more title fights than both of them. If a KO-artist is about stopping an opponent inside the distance and doing it as quick as possible, George Foreman and Mike Tyson look like separating from the rest.
It only looked that way cause he fought some good boxers after he was past his prime. We are talking about a prime Tyson here, not a washed up Tyson. Watch that fight again. The KO might not be as spectacular as others, but Tubbs was bleeding on the floor after it. He wasn't in his prime in either of those fights. Ruddock wouldn't have lasted past 5-6 rounds against an 88 Tyson. Again, he wasn't in his prime.
I mentioned Ring. Not sure what the ratings were like now but they were great back then. You will see Wilder hammered on this all the time in here. The ratings he fought under were woeful and indeed some of the governing bodies ratings back then as opposed to The ring were a disgrace too.