Tyson versus Dempsey

Run up to the title:

If we're counting Tyson's pre-lineal title shot run, he wins hands down, there were so many pretenders to the thrown who had an argument to be world's number 1 he beat, if we're talking Mike's pre-WBC title win, then no Dempsey has the better resume, although perhaps Mike deserves extra props for not sliding on any bannana's for both pre-title runs

Taking the title:

Both very dominant obviously in their respective Berbick, Spinks, Willard wins

Reign:

Tyson fought the best available, Dempsey didn't until he lost it against Tunney

Relative Head to Head abilities of opposition

TYson's were far more skilled on average, on average much bigger, much harder hits, faster, we could go on

 

No hes not, in fact quite the contrary. You dont see him sitting on the ATG lists in the 4 or 5 position, but closer to 10-11-12 spot, which, if I remember correctly, is pretty close to where you rank him? In his prime he was as consistent and dominating as any champion in history against comparable comp, so to think he automatically gets beat by any guy is a stretch in my opinion.

 

He got his ass kicked by fighters who were given virtually no hope whatsoever of beating him.
They didn't just beat him - they beat him up and knocked him out.
The odds quoted against Douglas and Holyfield were some of the longest ever. (If there was even betting allowed on the Douglas fight).
These were 'easy' fights for Tyson.
And he got thrashed.

If that's not being overrated head-to-head I don't know what is.

 

Douglas and Holyfield are better HWs than anyone Dempsey's stepped in the ring with regardless of odds

 

Same circumstances apply to Lewis and hes ranked in the top 5 of many. Tyson was also laid off for 4 years and never got a chance to redeem himself against Douglas. You just clearly dont like Tyson and are in the minority thinking as much as you think otherwise.

 

Saying that the statement was "ridiculous" is ridiculous - I would rank Carpentier as a much higher calibre fighter - certainly than pinky and Tubbs for absolute sure andnot that far behind Spinks - and would certainly call Firpo a much more 'dangerous' fighter than Tubbs and Pink at least and I would say certainly size wise Willard presented problems that all those three couldn't present

 

the thing with tyson is that he is so overrated by non-boxing fans,from casual people who don't the boxing history.they even put him ahead of ali.i like tyson and yes he is an atg boxer,but those fans really annoy me.
kalasinn come on now with tyson wins via nuclear atomic bombs

 

You've got Buster Douglas higher all time than Gene Tunney, Jack Sharkey, Georges Carpentier, Tommy Loughran, Max Schmeling, Max Baer, Tom Gibbons, Gunboat Smith, Battling Levinsky??????? Aaaaaghhhhahahahaha you really don't have any clue whatsoever!!! :rofl:rofl:rofl

 

Buster Doulgas would beat Fat Willie Meehan and Fireman Flynn in the same night. One of them schooled Dempsey and the other anniahlated him in 10 seconds

 

Lewis was overrated too. And continues to be overrated. But that's a different subject entirely.

Tyson shouldn't need two chances to beat Douglas if he's as great head-to-head as he was rated.

The majority thinking on Tyson was proven to be overrating him. If the majority want to go back to the past mistakes because it feels right, then carry on.
I followed Tyson's career and I know what I saw. He was a terrific fighter but he fell well short of his estimated ability. He was grossly over-estimated.

 

That's only because his estimated ability was that of him being potentially the greatest of all time.

 

what was so impresive about spinks, berbick and thomas when tyson fought them?

thomas was beating joe bugner victims no beter than old bugner since losing his belt and berbick was going 10 rounds with 16-10-2 mike perkings 2 months before facing thomas.

biggs had not beat a rated fighter in the ring anual ratings, holmes was inactive and Tucker untested.

Tubbs was on weight control alert and turned down a handsome bonus just so he could come in out of shape against tyson. And who did Tubbs beat to get his shot? former lightheavyweight eddie gonzales (knocked out that year by marvin johnson) who put on 40lb in a mater of months to take on tubbs.

what was micheal spinks record as a heavyweight? What contenders did he beat? Holmes and Tyson were the only elite HW's he faced.There is a good argument spinks’s record against these two should read 1-2 rather than 2-1 but there is a respected minority out there that could argue spinks could have been 0-3 against spinks and tyson.

 

This is very true - this is why how good they were at their very best has to take precedence over accomplishments/career record etc - Tyson's and Dempsey's are cases in point because overall their careers do no justice to what actually great fighters they were in their finest hours - it's ridiculously harsh for people to bring up even the Douglas fight let alone the McBride fight when you think about how amazing Tyson was 1986-1988 - if you're going to factor in the Douglas fight to any great extent then you have to then factor in say Dempsey being totally doped up and completely not there either