Rate the athleticism of Prime Mike Tyson

Ali was never knocked out, on average he had an incredible chin, he took bombs from Shavers and Forman and took a ton of punishment from Frazier who landed many solid hooks on Ali.

 

You actually think Tillis hit harder than Tyson, lol!

 

Ali's my favourite fighter but I'm a fair and analytical fight fan. Ali fought mostly going backwards and was taller, with a better reach than most of his opponents. His style and his headmovement when he does get punched to minimise damage - Mike went forward and got caught by heavier fighters than Ali typically fought. He was shorter and got caught by uppercuts that Ali didn't. Ali took big punches from Foreman and Shavers - Mike also took massive punches with the added disadvantage of his forward momentum.

I'm not saying Mike was more durable than Ali - Ali took a body punch better than anybody that I've seen at HW, but single shot, not flurry, but pure single shot, I don't think that Mike's chin was lesser than Ali's.

 

10/10

His lats span the entire length of his back for Christ sake. Also nobody can beat Tyson in shoulder development.

 

As Bonnie Tyler might have said ... This is a 'Total Ellipsis of the Heart'

 

Pretty darn high on all of them.

He basically had everything a fighter could have, except height and reach.

 

Well, the height and reach disadvantage went out the door with mastery of the peekaboo style

 

Yes, but they still gave an opponent options.

He had another weakness to be fair.

He wasn't the best at dealing with clinches, which he probably needed to be, given the aforementioned disadvantages.

 

Another Moron who actually takes points from Tyson for actually not going down in a fight until beaten half dead and not taking Flash KD despite the most agressive reckless style of all time. Literally.

He showed plenty of heart before prison.
Douglas fought like a man posessed and if he had been mortal that night Tyson would have had that come from behind KO you are looking for.
If his slip vs Bruno or Stewart was called a KD instead of the slip/chest punch vs Holyfield you would have your getting up to win bla bla as well


Nobody seems to appreciate that everybody who fought tyson was preparing for the fight of their life while tyson thought he was going to have another 1 rd demolition job vs Holyfield and douglas.
There WAS a time where he had that burning desire and will to win but its not when youre on top and people make your opponent a 44-1 punderdog.

The Douglas and Ruddock fights prove all you need to know about Tysons heart.

He ruined his own legacy with his post prison and later career mental breakdown but imo its wrong to say he was always like that.

Some people quit and then never quit again, others are tough as nails and quit later. Ray Mercer, bert Cooper, DURAN, erik morales, manny pacquiao, CHAVEZ need i go on??

 

Try reading what he actually said.

 

Overall athleticism of Prime Mike Tyson - 9.
For two reasons:
1a.) Mike Tyson is too short to be a heavyweight. Every subsequent champion was taller than Tyson
2b.) Mike Tyson is the youngest heavyweight world champion in history

Oliver McCall - 10
https://www.boxingforum24.com/threads/mount-rushmore-of-hw-chins.713014/
Oliver McCall is the "gold standard" for chin.

 

Power: 8
Chin: 8
Speed: 9
Reflexes: 8
Stamina: 7
Body punching: 9
Combinations: 9
Recovery (from damage): 6
Timing: 8
Defense: 8
Balance: 8
Physical Strength: 7
Finishing ability: 10

 

I think he ranks tremendously high in all those categories but .. flame away … I see this as intended to allow Tyson acolytes to argue that he’s the GOAT. (Hands faster than Ali?) Peak Tyson was a fearsome fighter who on a given night had the potential to beat any heavyweight who ever lived. But I don’t think he was ever close to being the GOAT, I have him ninth on my personal list behind Ali, Louis, Holmes, Johnson, Marciano, Foreman, Frazier and Liston and ahead of Lewis.

 

He was like a bundle of fast twitch muscles. Had the muscle mass of a 6'3"+ man on a 5'10" frame but incredibly fast and not slow, which is a rarity outside of the NFL on someone built like that.