Mike Tyson, Top Ten Worthy?

Agree with you here SuzieQ49.

Dempsey, Sullivan and plenty other fighters drew the colour line, and I honestly believe this affects their all time rankings. Jack Johnson called Dempsey out at 38 years old after serving jail time and never got a fight.
Jack Johson drew the colour line himself when he was champion, no doubt about that. What people forget is the fact that many of Johnson's greatest fights were against Langford, McVey and Joe Jeannette, before he won the heavyweight title.

 

Well in fairness to Tyson I do think you can throw some of his later fights out the door,(ie McBride, Williams) as he was clearly shot. And I'd only penalize him partially for his loss to Lewis because as mentioned he was basically shot, although a legacy fight is a legacy fight.

And I also think you can give him some credit for the way in which he won when he was in his prime, that's fair too. But when you take those these comments along with yours I think he stratles the line between being in and out of the top 10.

 

why do some of you even use the lennox lewis fight when ranking tyson? tyson way past it when the fight took place. the fight was all about money.

 

so your saying that this fight should not even be considered. well should we consider the holy field fights/ should we consider the holmes fight? iv got an idea lets start talking about fighters in the light that we like to see them in. in that case tyson sits somewhere inside my top 5 .

 

But here is the twist in the tale.......

Although Sullivan was as categorical in drawing the colour line as any champion in history it damages his legacy less than most because there really wernt many dangerous black contenders around in his prime.

If he had lost to Jackson it would be just like him loosing to Corbett. Hell he even fought Corbett who had held Jackson to a draw so its not like he wasnt up for a challenge.

 

You are overlooking one thing. Those guys were ranked top ten guys of the day or co-titlists. Beating them, sending them packing as Mike did....THAT'S DOING THE WORK.

It's not like he was beating up guys like Danny Williams when there was REAL work to be done and hoping he'd be lauded for it.

 

My mom used to date Joe Montana.

 

How long did it take for the soreness to subside?

 

She still hurts. Joe Montana Rules. And Mike Tyson is a top 10 level guy.

My top 10 list in no particular order is .

Muhammad Ali
George Foreman
Evander Holyfield
Mike Tyson
Riddick Bowe
Joe Frazier
Larry Holmes
Lennox Lewis


And i dont have any more to add to that list

 

You seem to have missed off Joe Louis and Rocky Marciano in your haste.

 

When Rocky Marciano is actually a heavyweight instead of a cruiserweight and Joe Louis actually fights guys who were actually heavyweights then i will add them to the list. I said heavyweight champions not cruiserweight champions or people who are considered good because the media tells you so

 

I would point out that Rocky Marciano was not protected by any weight limit that said that he only had to fight people under 200 or 190 lbs. That is the main benefit of being a cruiserweight.

I would also point out that Joe Louis beat a lot of verry big fighters. He is one of the few champions pre 1990 who was actualy beating up world class opponents the size of Lennox Lewis or Riddick Bowe.

I think that the point of the heavyweight division is not howe much you way but the fact that youy will take on any commer above a given weight regardless of size. The heavyweight division at various times has been pegged at 154 lbs, 158 lbs, 160 lbs, 175 lbs, 190 lbs, and 200 lbs. What it has always meant is that you give up the protection of a weight limit and fight the biggest oponents out there.

 

Right Janitor and what happened when Bob Foster moved up and fought heavyweights? He lost and why is Marciano different? Wait dont tell me I already know. There is no 5'10 180 fighter who cant beat some 6'5 240 pound fighter period. There are weight classes for a reason you know. 205 has been the miniman weight for about 20 years or more right? Marciano weighed 180 to 185 and that makes him a heavyweight?

I asked this question before and i will do i again, Name some 205 plus pound modern heavyweights that Marciano beat besides Louis who was pushing 40. Marciano isnt a top 100 heavyweight because he wasnt a heafyweight and Joe Louis beat some bigger guys like the Baer bros but they were unskilled. Louis also had glass for a chin. Could you imagine a 170 pound feathered fisted fighter like Conn hurting Foreman, Bowe, Tua ect ect ect? I doubt it