Was Any Post-Prison Version Of Tyson...

No, Tyson lost some juice by the time he fought Ruddock, but imo he was clearly a much slower fighter after he got out of the joint. Prime Tyson's destruction of the HW divsion had much to do with his speed.

 

tyson was finished as the great after spinks 88. any version after that was a waste of what could've been - he was still good but never great. 88 version woulda smashed lewis and holyfield.

 

Doubt it.. These guys are both as strong (Possibly stronger) and are bigger.
Lewis also has a helluva jab and would wrestle Tyson around every time Tyson would get close, so therefore he wouldn't be able to work inside. Then he would just pot shot Tyson and hurt him with his shots.

Holyfield would've gone to war with Tyson like he did in 96, and would back him up and push him around. He would even probably use the dirty tactics. Plus, tyson can't fight backing up, so Holyfield would also wrestle him around and use his short punching to hurt Tyson and back him up with combos.

 

Maybe defensively after three fights with Brooks, but I dont think he had the heart and determination he had in the Ruddock fights. I think Tyson would have folded against anyone who would have offered the type of resiliance that Ruddock did in those fights, and really he never did go the distance in his comeback or showed he could fight his way through a tough fight. He should have beaten Holyfield in the first fight if he was. Holy was not some dynamo of boxing ability in that fight, he weathered Tysons storm and wore him out and stopped him.

 

Most people would've crumbled after that one flurry that Tyson gave him.
Plus he countered Tyson very nicely.

 

He did, but it wasnt a great offensive display of skill by either fighter. It was a lot of wrestling and holding and off balance punching. Tyson would load up with one big shot and swing falling in, and Holyfield would counter him as he came forward and they would tie up.

 

Probably not.

Tyson did look very sharp in the 1996 rematch with Bruno, but keep in mind whom he was facing. Bruno fight Tyson in 1989 looking like he was genuinely trying to win. In the rematch, Bruno seemed scared out of his mind and just looking to hold Mike. Tyson said later he thought Frank was only fighting for the payday and not trying to win.

 

I think he was in real good shape for the Bruno fight in 1996, and fought well for 3 rounds, appeared to be at least '91 vintage.
But Bruno offered no real opposition, and later developments suggest Tyson may not have been in shape mentally as he must have been against Ruddock.

Tyson looked in great shape and fighting in his old style for the Holyfield rematch too, in 1997. But clearly he proved himself in no mental shape whatsoever.

Tyson looked okay beating up Golota, but I think he was slower by then. And Golota sucked. Tyson was certainly a lot better then than he was in any fight afterwards. Against Nielsen and Lewis he was veritably washed-up, overweight, just a heavy-handed plodder.

 

No. The version who fought Ruddock twice was the best post prime Tyson. After prison,he was downhill all the way.

 

Mike was a great weight against golota, but he had **** all speed & head movement & was still looking for that 1-shot ko......pretty mediocre stuff, and it has been mentioned already that 95-97 mike had no real test of stamina over distance other than holyfield 1, and those results speak for themselves....the rest were tomato cans, Mcneeley, a shot Bruno, and that absolute pathetic disgrace that was Bruce Seldon

 

In my opinion the 1991 version of Tyson who fought 2 brutal wars with Ruddock was the best non-Rooney Tyson by some margin, after hooking up with Giachetti he had looked a bit sloppy destroying Tillman & Stewart in 1990, but by 1991 he looked better than he had in 1989. Tyson was mentally and physically supremely conditioned for prolonged grueling warfare, showed great body punching skills, a quality straight right hand, could put punches together decently and when he did use head movement it looked very good. Also he possessed far faster hands & superior timing than any post-prison versions.

 

No

 

It's as simple as that - no.

He had some fights he looked pretty good in, but not at the level of the Ruddock fights (let alone his 80s work).

Father Time will always end up kicking your ass.