Cooper definitely wasn’t better than Tyson, but style wise I think Bert matched up better to Holyfield, since Bert could fight on the inside and Tyson couldn’t.
This is my point. You're attributing Douglas with having this concussive KO power by virtue of the fact he iced Tyson when he was only a modest puncher throughout his entire career. Tyson might have fought recklessly and put in a sub par performance but he's still a far better fighter than David Jaco and Dee Collier were on the best day of their lives. If Douglas possessed this elite power surely he would have at least displayed it against these journeyman type opponents? He didn't because he didn't and never had elite power. He was a boxer who boxed Tyson's ears off and wore him down with attrition but also proved that Tyson's chin wasn't infallible and was/is short of the very best chins the division has produced.
Thanks, I appreciate this. Also, the correctness of Mills Lane's actions in no way detract from how close Bert Cooper came to upsetting Holyfield against the odds. He wasn't "cheated" by an incompetent or biased referee but to think he came in as a second substitute says a lot about what a dangerous fighter he could be.
I think anything under 8 is unfair and anything over 9 would be overstating things. 8 to 8.5 for me personally.