If you don’t think Tyson was a dirty fighter who used those tricks, I don’t know what to tell you. I watched Tyson-Ruddock I and the first four rounds of their second fight and Tyson was warned no less than eight times explicitly — had a point deducted for low blows, warned twice for deliberate head butts, punches on the break, punches after the bell … and repeatedly threw forearms and elbows. It’s also one of his few fights where he didn’t try to break or injury his opponent’s arm by wrenching it in clinches. You can pick out any number of fights where Tyson is involved in clashes of heads, some deliberate and others simply a result of how he fights — he comes in with wide punches and his head on a straight line. It’s bound to happen until the opponent pulls his head back (into the arc of the punch) … which Holyfield didn’t do. But of course Saint Mike is always a victim lol.
I know Ali held for dear life and pushed his opponent's head down but Holyfield's nut punching and head butts are something else. If I was cut by a headbutt that affected my performance I would be pissed.
Watch holy vs dokes, the finish he runs after him across the ring and headbutts him, from what I remember
You implied he knew them like a guy who studies history knows what happened at the Battle of Little Big Horn. Tyson demonstrated repeatedly in his career that he not only knew them like an academic, not only knew HOW to use them but in fact DID use them. Which Lennox said he taught him HOW to do it. Tyson knew from experience. There’s more video evidence of that than we have of most Hall of Famers’ careers, haha.
Holyfield was a master of the “accidental intentional headbutt” Lots of fighters have their dirty tricks. Eusebio Pedroza with elbows and low blows. Mike Tyson for throwing “**** you” punches after the bell along with forearms and hitting guys on the canvas. Bernard Hopkins with hitting guys below the belt, headbutts, flopping like a fish whenever someone taps him slightly low. Lennox Lewis with holding guys behind the neck and hitting them with uppercuts. Terry Norris is in his own category for hitting opponents on the canvas. Holyfield’s thing was to use his head.
If a guy admits to cheating drug tests, he’s admitting to drug use. It is charitable to think he used only recreational ‘get high’ drugs and didn’t juice. Muscle memory isn’t retaining muscle mass. It’s the muscles/body being trained to act a certain way and that coming naturally, without thought. Like a basktball player can not shoot for a few years and then throw him a ball and his stroke comes back after a few tries because muscle memory kicks in; or a pitcher who has Tommy John surgery and takes a year or more off — soon as he comes back he gets his throwing motion both — he just has to train to get the velocity and stamina to pre-surgery levels but he doesn’t have to learn to pitch again because his muscle memory kicks in for the repetitive motion.
