The Tyson who destroyed Spinks need not and should not have been the finished article

I agree. Tyson was learning some new things still, like the triple jab he threw against Tubbs.

 

I agree...furthermore, Tyson lost his most valuable asset, his WARRIOR MENTALITY.

By the time he fought Holyfield, Tyson's "desire to fight" was long gone. People don't understand how much mentality can carry someone...Tyson had unbelievable natural ability, skill, power, speed, and heart (in the beginning).

You look at the great "tough guys", it was their mentality that carried them. Until Trinidad destroyed him, look at Mayorga. He had no skill whatsoever, but refused to be hurt...period. Look at James Toney. A man who took pride in his ability to stand in front of you and exchange punches toe to toe. Look at Old George Foreman. He refused to be hurt, be knocked down, or sit down in the corner between rounds. It was mentality that gave them the edge, and it gave Tyson his as well.

Tyson believed he could destroy anyone in front of him. He believed he couldn't be hurt.

After Spinks (and even beforehand), Tyson wasn't the man he was beforehand. The troubles with training, Don King, Robin Givens, etc. broke Tyson down. That and the immense amount of money.

Once Tyson left Brooklyn and the Brooklyn "do anything to survive" mentality, it was over for him...He needed to be that concentrated animal...

 

Tysons story frustrates the hell out of me, he could have been so much. Just think it would be entirely possible if Tyson had kept improving for him to have defeated Holyfield, Lewis, Bowe etc That would have made his resume arguably the best in heavyweight history.

 

It's funny, but a friend of mine thinks he was a converted southpaw, although I'm not sure about that. Just thought seeing as though you were referring to switch-hitting I'd bring that up.

 

If we could have taken Mike's raw natural abilities and transplanted Rocky's heart and Frazier's stamina into him, he'd probably still be champ.

Okay, that was an exaggeration of course, but he'd have been virtually unstoppable, even allowing for the natural drop-off in speed and reflexes over time.
One of the biggest wastes of natural talent ever.

 

You (deliberately I think) forgetting the intangibles. Tyson's natural ability had a massive flaw, his temperament. I think everybody should be amazed that the hard work of D'Amato, Atlas, Rooney, Jacobs and Cayton got him to the level of the Spinks fight, he was so badly flawed.

But that is being selfish actually, Tyson needed help to resolve his issues, and I hope I am badly wrong, but I only see Tyson tragically dying far too young, because his demons were not resolved, and people saw his boxing genius and were prepared to just focus on that.

 

Totally agree Janitor.

 

I hate to say it but i have the same fears myself.

 

Once he left Rooney he was never the same fighter. Was it that easy or was there more to it Was he no longer willing to sacrifice all his time to training. Maybe the highlife was getting to Rooney also I heard he he raised a ruckus in Vegas. If he could have stayed with Rooney working strictly the way he was at the time of the Spinks fight he could have continued to improve to where he could have beaten Holyfield. But we ll never know.

 

The most overrated Professional Boxer on planet earth, the one and only Mike Tyson.

 

Amen, I remember watchin' a video where even Rooney admitted that, one of the biggest what-ifs in history smh