Why do some people try to claim Mike Tyson couldn't hang with today's "giants"?

He beats usyk as well

Mike with a water cut would make cruiserweight and crush every usyk opponent easily

Usyk is brilliant but he's getting overrated on this board

He struggled with chisora and came from behind to beat Tony Bellew, he is not beating a Rooney trained Tyson

 

Mike Tyson 5% bodyfat?

No chance

 

With the peekaboo masterfully put in place before Tokio Douglas he could break ribs and eye sockets of every giant fighter he would face. Without it hes to easy to hit for fighters taller than him.

 

Dont think prime Mike Tyson would struggle with anyone today

 

Bruno was not 6'3+

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Klitschko's wouldn't get banged out by McCall? I recall one Klitschko getting banged out by Ross Purity and Corrie Sanders, another got his face split open like he'd been hit with an ax against a 38 year old out of shape Lennox Lewis. Tyson pressure both men badly and comes in low throwing hooks to the body, Wlad isn't an infighter and gets clipped inside 5. Vitali? if he can't control range he'll have to fight Mike Tyson, and a prime Tyson is far better than the Sanders who wobbled Vitali. If he's not stopped he's beaten up.

 

You are CORRECT & thank you for the sharp eye man!
Reviewing what I wrote, I communicated the wrong idea.
I *meant* to say that in his prime he was lean, but not under 5% bodyfat.
What I included & where I put the "though" messed that up.
I will edit it now.

I think he was around 10% BF when he was 214-221.
And that is within the range of what can be achieved naturally with someone of his height, bone structure, & strong indications of genetics re: how he was built even before he worked out in his early teens.
Or he or anyone much smaller could have used PEDs: yet it is unfair & irrational to conclude he likely did.

Make sense to you Adam?

 

True, but what kind of shape was Langford in?
Greb said Tunney got to big for him, so it was likely mostly that, not his eyesight.
Meaning an extremely skilled HW-Greb could have beaten at least almost everyone else in the world boxing then, regardless of size.

You must know the history better than me.
Was Langford close enough to prime that we can reasonably say he did not lose due to physical disavantages aside from size?

 

Nah, I am no historian, just like reading and watching content others put out on it.
On youtube Hardline Boxing Talk and Rich the fight historian do some fantastic videos:

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I suspect you are correct that age was also likely catching up with Langford. At the same time though, as I understand it Wills was quite early in his pro career when Langford was having success over him. The successes became fewer and far between as Langford got older, and Wills entered his own Prime. However, the consistency with which Langford was losing to Wills suggests, to me at least, that size was a big factor.

 

The fact Whyte was (maybe still by some) rated as a top 5 heavyweight for years says all you need to know about this era.

 

If Iron Mike can reach your chin your done and he is hard to hit clean.
He'll work your body till the hands come down and goodnight.
Mike Tyson in his prime (pre-jail) would have KO'd Wladamir & probably his Brother.
He might have taken out a pre-Manny Lennox but not after that. Usyk and Joshua no problem.
He would have had problems with Fury.

 

Thanks for the links I will watch them in a while!
However you did not address my comment about his eyesight.
Size was likely a factor, but depending on age & vision, I do not know if the results would have been more even if Langford was younger & could see better.
Meaning maybe Sam would have compensated for this disadvantage with his overall ability & been as good without those handicaps, maybe not.
From Wikipedia:

Langford fought heavyweight [url]Harry Wills[/url] seventeen times. Langford was 31 in the first bout and continued to suffer from old age and failing eyesight more and more each fight. The first was a draw via points, the second a win via fourteenth-round knockout, the third and fourth losses via decision, the fifth a win via nineteenth-round knockout, the sixth through ninth losses via decision, the tenth a draw via points, the eleventh a loss via sixth-round knockout and the twelfth by seventh-round technical knockout, the thirteenth through seventeenth by decision (Total: 2 wins (2 KO), 14 losses (2 KO) and 2 draws).

 

What does cutting a boxers face mean? Wallin cut Fury and Lewis was losing to Vitali until he cut him.

 

One of those giants is Helenius at 6`7 however he only has a 79 inch reach compared to Tony Tucker who had an 82 inch reach like AJ and Wlad.

 

He would prob do pretty well against Joshua and maybe Wilder but Fury may just be too big. I mean Usky is 6,3 and people are saying he’s to small.