Was prime "Iron" Mike Tyson the greatest heavyweight of all time?

No, the competition just wasn't there.

 

If his prime ended at 24 his signature wins were over Michael Spinks and a thirty nine year old Larry Holmes. I will let others determine if prime Iron Mike Tyson was the greatest heavyweight of all time.

 

This may surprise you.

It may even shock you.

But that's just your opinion.

 

The competition was there, but that's irrelevant anyway.

 

There are no 5 HWs with a better prime than Tyson.

 

Not the greatest but should have been. Perhaps had Damato not died he would have been. Hes still a top ten heavyweight, despite what his haters suggest.

 

H2H MIke is up there and if anybody says otherwise is lying

 

No.
He was the architect of his success, quickly followed by becoming the author of his downfall.

 

Prime Mike's H2H abilities rank much higher than Mike's overall ATG standing would indicate.

As far as H2H, I look at it this way. If we use a time machine to put him up against a fighter who hasn't seen him fight before, he wins. Doesn't matter who. He blasts out Joe Louis. Swats the floating butterfly Ali. Shows Foreman how much fun it is to fight a guy who hits nearly on par with him but who is twice as fast. KO's Norton in one round. Shows Holmes that he ain't Shavers. Nobody, without foreknowledge, beats a prime Iron Mike.

Assuming they do have knowledge of him and have seen film of him, any of the greats have a shot, some better than others. I give pre-exile Ali the best chance, followed by Steward trained Lewis. Wildcard is Fury. Not sure how Mike deals with a man that big, that strong in a clinch, grabbing him and leaning on him while calling him a tosser and a bloody wanker.

I rank him easily top 5 H2H. Maybe top 20 somewhere ATG overall.

 

Since Mike Tyson's prime ended at 24 let's just compare his prime to George Foreman who to be fair we will end his prime at 24 also. George's best wins were gainst Joe Frazier and Ken Norton. Iron Mike's best wins were against Michael Spinks and a thirty nine year old Larry Holmes who had been inactive for nearly three years.

 

And how do you think a 20 year old Tyson would do against Frazier or Norton? I mean, Norton? Norton likely doesn't see round 2. Frazier might present a problem though.

 

We have to speculate what they might have done as opposed to what they actually did. I shudder to think what prime Big George would have done to Michael Spinks and a thirty nine year old Larry Holmes who had been inactive nearly three years. I know what literally means and with the wrong ref Big George might have literally killed both men.

 

No. He wasn’t. But he was certainly an excellent fighter and fun to watch in his early years.

 

Spinks would have just stayed down. Wouldn't have been a big deal. Holmes would keep getting up though if the ref didn't stop it. Potential for disaster there.

 

No. Just no. Not going any farther than that as my personal .02 because there’s no point in arguing when minds aren’t going to change.