Everyone seems to have this fight pegged , I've always thought Tyson's hand speed would let him be first in the exchanges and I've picked him early but as ThatOne pointed out Frazier knew that hitting him back was the key and Frazier didn't know what fear was. I still lean towards Mike but not confidently, I think if Frazier gets out of round 2 the fight is on and Joe could really swim in deep water. If Holyfield could beat up and ko Tyson, Frazier could too.
Fear is a primary emotion. It's how you react to it that matters. That being said I don't think Joe had any fear at all, not even as a primary emotion. He ain't coming in that ring scared like the lion's share of Tyson's opponents. You know who else wasn't scared of Tyson-Evander Holyfield. On paper Tyson should win. He's bigger, faster, and stronger but fights aren't fought on paper. They're fought on canvases. I don't know who wins but I know the answer isn't as obvious as some make it seem.
Joe was on Howard twice. In the 09 interview I know they were joking around and Howard tried to fix him up with Robin. Joe was giving her the business because she has a big poster of Ali in the office. In the 90s interview he was there with Marvis. I believe Marvis was with him both times. In the 90s interview Howard asked Marvis what was going through his mind when Tyson knocked him out. He said "mommy, can I get off the potty now?" I also listened to an interview he did with Floyd Mayweather. To my surprise he came off as likeable.
One last Joe Frazier story. My best friend and former business partner was a huge Joe Frazier fan. He even had an autographed photo of Joe above his pool table. He knew I loved Ali so he sheepishly told me the story of the autographed photo. When Joe was signing his photo my friend referenced Al's condition and said you did this to him. He feels bad now about saying it, really bad. Anyway Joe politely said "don't say that" I know at times Joe took "credit" for Ali's condition but maybe in some moments hate gives way to pity.
IMHO, Joe would do fine, as long as he could avoid serious damage on the way in. He needs to stay very close to Tyson and trade from there. I suspect that Tyson would get him on the way in once too often for Joe to get Mike into deep water. Once Mike hurts him and is able to keep Joe at mid range (by pushing and/or pivoting), Joe's in trouble. I'd go with Tyson in this one.
I keep seeing Foreman, a far heavier puncher, knocking Joe down again and again and Joe getting back up...clapping his gloves together, ready for more. I'm wondering how much of a negative psychological effect that would have on Mike. Some say he was pretty damaged by Douglas peeling himself off the canvas. I imagine Frazier would do the same, and Joe Frazier was ten times the fighter Douglas ever was.
If Joe weathers the storm as he traditionally has done, past round 5 he starts smoking while Mike gasses out. Remember he has gptten up every single time he got dropped and wanted to continue fighting, plus knew when to back off as seen in Bonavena I and Foreman II. Joe just has to break Mike down while avoiding getting dropped more than twice in the same round.
I heard another Frazier story after Marvis was ko'ed by Tyson, Joe told other's that he'd like to put the gloves on and find out what that son of a bi#ch is really made of. Joe had his doubts about Mike's toughness at some level.
Back to Joe. Regarding Ali's psych jobs I think he would have had an easier go with Joe if he didn't get him so mad. SRL who studied and emulated Ali seemed to take away that lesson. He buttered up Hagler in the run-up to their fight.
That's one thing I see quite often, just because there's one fighter you can't beat doesn't necessarily mean in the over all scheme of things he's not the greater fighter of the two. The old saying styles make fights has been around for well over a 100 years because it's true. Roberto Duran is ranked much higher than Hearns historically yet many say he might have never beat Tommy.
I seem to see the fight almost opposite of the majority opinion. I don't think Tyson has the tools to finish Frazier early like Foreman did, he doesn't have the tools to keep Frazier from getting his own shots in. He's not going to be keeping Frazier at arm's length, he doesn't have the brute strength and raw power to do what Foreman did. After the first two rounds, which would likely be rocky for Frazier, the tide would turn quite starkly, by the fourth and fifth rounds Frazier would be administering a beatdown upon Tyson. In eight or nine rounds, tops, it would be over. Frazier relished war and blood and guts. Tyson had more flash, more style. But Frazier was just more fighter. It's irrefutable.
joe has no way to defend we seen a preview with the son who was almost the same style he was destroyed it's no reason for people to pick joe when he never would get into his zone