How could Tyson's post exile comeback have been as successful as Ali's?

None of them were durable. Nielsen was downright shot himself, older than Tyson and grossly overweight. And even the best version of Nielsen was soundly outboxed by 48 y.o. Larry Holmes only to get a gift decision against ancient Larry. Norris was also way past his prime cruiserweight who was at his best like 8-10 years prior to facing Mike. Bruno, Seldon and Golota were as fragile as they come while Ike and Tua were completely opposite - both had iron cast chin.

 

It was a close fight that could have gone either way. Draw was not a robbery.

 

It couldn't. His camp did a great job of picking and choosing the opponents to the point he again became the unified champ. Holyfield was just a cherry pick that went wrong and Tyson paid the price.

 

you make a good point, but Tua and Ibeabuchi didn’t beat men even as good as Golota and Bruno who were only really knocked out by the very best. Ultimately, Ike and Tua shoukd always be regarded a level below Lewis and Holyfield and that is really the yard stick here. They have to be that good to achieve a realistic guarantee.

True Tua and ike appeared to have good enough chins. It’s a Pity those fights with Tyson didnt happen because they both should have been able to extend that Tyson.

 

Mike didn't have the boxing skills to fall back on when he started to decline. Ali had other gears and ways to fight which Mike did not.. Once Mike started to slip the only way he knew how to fight would slip with his skills, as it did.

 

As long as Holyfield and Lewis were out there, he was never going to approach Ali. Ali beating Foreman took him from good to great. Tyson needed a win like that and Lewis and Holyfield were just too much better than him.

 

Someone would have to convince Tyson to rededicate himself to training hard and not partying (as much). Steward maybe (and I do mean maybe) could of helped as could of Rooney. But really maybe a good shrink and life coach as well?

Even if all that doesn't happen, figuring out a way to fight Rahman after he KOd Lewis but before he was KOd by Lewis would of been helpful and looked better as he would of regained the title.

 

With Lewis, Steward had a guy with a ton of potential, who had his head on straight, didn't do self-destructive ****, and listened to him. With Tyson, all he'd have had was a guy with a ton of potential.

With Tyson, there was a full time job outside of the gym to stop him from doing dumb ****.

 

remember the historical context. Tyson would have been a clear favorite in 1996. If Tyson had won against Holyfield and Lewis in the same year, 1996, he wouldn't have gained much. Who was Holyfield in 1996? someone like Holmes in 1988? Tyson, being in the shape of his life, could have knocked him out like Berbicka in the best performance of his career and people today would say that he won against the former prime cruiser. And Lewis in 1996? Who was? a guy who was knocked out by sparring partner Mike from the 1980s and a fighter who couldn't beat the aging Mercer as clearly as Larry Holmes did. It would be like knocking out Pinky Thomas in 1987, nothing more. Does anyone today take Thomas from 1987 seriously?

 

For Tyson so have a comeback that good, he'd have to not only fully dedicate himself to the life, but also change his style. Peek-a-boo is for the young, and as much as Patterson was able to live on with it, Tyson declined much faster due to a combination of multiple things.
If Tyson took on a kind of brawling, swarming style combined with good counterpunching more akin to Jerry Quarry, he would've been better off.

 

He should have took Holyfield and Lewis heads if he wanted to be compared to the Greatest

 

Absolutely.

I meant Holyfield I Bowe.

 

Only in the Classic Forum you stick a fighter in Jail for three years years and expect him to be the same or get better when he gets out.

Tyson was DONE when he got out, he fought a little more than a half dozen rounds in close to four years vs weak opposition until he met battle hardend and ACTIVE Holyfield.

Tyson after prison did not want to fight, the fire was gone but the money was too good to it pass up

Post Prison Tyson was a pure Clown show.

Ali wanted to fight, that all he knew to be the "Greatest", thats the difference.

Ali paid the price for "Legacy", Tyson did not give a shid about "Legacy", made money, blew money , made money again and is currently the most recognized Price fighter on the Planet.with his wits still intact.

 

We aren't expecting stuff from something and someone that already went down. We got asked, "How could", and you get surprised when people answer? Crazy ****.

 

I’ve always been of the mind all that could be learnt from Mike’s way of fighting was within him and all blame rests on his shoulders.
Freddie Brown at some point couldn’t tell Duran anything.
What could Rooney, Cus, Atlast have taught him after losing to Douglas? To me nothing.
Steward taking over may have done to Mike what many did to Oscar De La Hoya if Tyson had listened.
I think what Emmanuel could’ve added was as you said someone to push him but he didn’t need a teacher at that point to me.
Wasn’t Cus’s last orders to keep the machine oiled so to speak? I forget and that was Team Tyson’s objective? Maintenance?