Was Mike Tyson the biggest HW under achiever of all time...

He was both an overacheiver and underacheiver.

 

A sane tyson in top shape without all the bull **** around him and clear

minded would have been close to unbeatable as any fighter ever

 

no he wasnt

 

thanks mate, no its Solis beating the **** out of Welliver

 

But that was part of his make up as a fighter. Its like saying imagine if Judah had a heart like Joe Frazier.

Mike Tyson was unhinged mentally and would of always gone of the rails because that's the person he truly is. Sure you can calm him down and try and keep his mind active, which is what they did early on in his career, but he's always gonna be prone to resorting type because that's his character.

 

He didn't reach his potential (which IMO was to be the greatest HW of all time).

That said,

He still became youngest HW champion

5 times a belt winner

Undisputed HW champion

made

Fought in championship fights 16 times

Defended his title(s) 13 times IIRC

No, he never underachieved. He just didn't reach his ultimate potential.

 

I think the crazy, animalistic style was tied to his crazy, animalistic brain. They go hand in hand. The man was a killer in and out of the ring, and nothing can change that. The insanity that drove him off the rails was also the force that made him so unstoppable in the ring. It's a wonder his handlers managed to focus that energy so well and for such a long time as they did. Even now the relatively mature, calm and collected (his words, not mine) Tyson is still prone to crazy spells where he just wants to destroy for no reason.

 

Excellent point.

Never thought of it liked that but yeah, it makes sense.

 

Tyson dominated the division for a good few year. He unified the heavyweight title on 2 separate occasions (before and after jail) and for a few years he was a force of nature. Even when he was well past his prime (ie after prison) he still did well ... untill he met Holyfield.

I dont see how you feel this is an "under-achievment" unless you expected way-to-much and had unrealistic expectations of him.

Tyson had the career that 99% boxers can only dream of.

Audley Harrison is easily the biggest under-achiever in the heavyweight division ..... him and Gonzales.

 

What gets me with Tyson's supporters when they claim he could of been the great HW of all time, is that assuming his head was right mentally, does that eradicate the fact he's in the past twice shown a tendency to capitulate in fights where by the guy has sucked it up, took his best shots, and dragged into the middle rounds and is continuing to ask questions of him

 

isn't that what under achieving is?

 

Audley Harrison

The Second Coming of Lennox Lewis

/Thread

 

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