Let's say young Mike came instead of Lennox and fought for the vacant WBC belt in 97 against Oliver McCall. Then defended it against the following: Henry Akinwande Andrew Golota Shannon Briggs Zielko Mavrovic Evander Holyfield (past prime) Michael Grant Francois Botha David Tua Hasim Rahman and Vitali Klitschko How do you think these fights would've ended if 80's Tyson was involved? All opponents except Evander Holyfield were at or near their best.
Well it could be a case of Tyson always struggling with any version of Holy but I believe the young Tyson gets the job done in 9. I don't see him been as dominant against the other guys as much as he was against Berbick and co but he beats most of em .The ones that I give a chance are Tua ,Rahman,and Klitschko.Vit especially could be a danger.
Prime Tyson destroys everyone of the fighters named with exception of prime or close to prime Holyfield. Tua didn't have the footspeed to keep up with prime Tyson, I see Tyson coming at a pretty stationary Tua from angles he wouldn't be able to cope with. I see a brave but battered Tua being saved by the ref within 9rds. Rahman wouldn't be fighting a fighter like Lennox Lewis who stood pretty straight up, didn't have great balance and was susceptible to looping right hands. It was pretty hard to catch prime Tyson with A straight jab or straight right hand, much less a looping punch. The head movement, than the explosion of very hard, quick combination punches would destroy Rahman much faster than Lewis did in their rematch. Klitschko would have to tie up, tie-up. and tie-up some more to keep Tyson at bey , and that may work fine... Until he gets hit cleanly. The only one I see giving Prime Tyson a fight is a prime Holyfield.
Fair enough points flash. As I said at the start ,Holy s the one guy that some believe will always trouble Tyson. Maybe it's like Frazier v Ali ,in which one guy always gives the other hell ,Holy always gets one over him ? Just a shame they didn't meet in 91 when both close to ideal conditions.
He loses somewhere along the line. Probably to youth or a contemporary. On his way up he was youth fighting the old reflexes. This is altogether different and we saw what happened to Mike when his reflexes started to go.
Tyson would probably win the majority of the matches here. He could be upset by Tua. I think Holyfield had Tyson's number and I also think V. Klitschko would beat him. Tyson and Klitschko almost fought, but Tyson lost to Danny Williams instead. Standing side by side in their promotional tour, Tyson looks like a teenager next to Vitali. Now that Tyson has been long since retired and they buzz surrounding him is gone, historians and fans can be objective about his career. Mike was always very dangerous in the first 4-5 rounds, but he lost steam and form as the rounds when on. The more durable fighters that were not intimidated by him that could box or punch had an easy time landing on Tyson. Tyson was never known for later round TKO's. I think he had just one past round 9. Tyson also bully like mentality and mental folded when the pressure was on him.
He would KO early a lot of these guys. Mavrovic may last the distance, he had a helluva chin and solid legs. Holyfield may beat him, I think he would always bring that extra dimension vs Tyson. Tua has a chance, Tyson probably stops him with body punches? Only Holyfield and Tua have a chance of upseting him, me thinks...
86 Tyson = 97 Tyson means 88 Prime-Tyson by the time he faces aged Evander in 99. Beeing in his prime, he beats that Holyfield. After 99 it goes downwards, problems are Tua and Vit.
