Who was a better combo puncher, M.Tyson (prime) or Buster Douglas (prime)?

He might not have been at his best but who's fault was that? Did someone TELL him he had no choice but to **** Japanese hookers as opposed to training to defend the most coveted price in boxing history? If Tyson was so reliant on Rooney that he couldn't function without him as many of you fanboys like to imply, then he was never all that great.

 

Yeah, I don't get all this bull**** about how past his prime Tyson was in Douglas fight. Upsets happen, it's more important how you come back after it. Look at Joe Louis - he took a beating from Max Schmeling, but he came back and won all of his fights in next 14 years. Tyson didn't do that.

If Tyson really needed Rooney that much, maybe he wasn't that great in the first place?

 

Douglas was prime for one fight. Not to take anything away from him, he was brilliant in that one fight. But it was one fight

Lots of champion boxers would be useless without their best trainers. Ali would have been useless without Angelo Dundee (which is the comparison Larry Merchant made after Tyson got beat by Douglas). Frazier would have been killed by Ali if it weren't for Eddie Futch. Lewis didn't mature as a fighter until Emmanuel Steward started training him. Same goes for Klitschko. I think Holyfield had a trainer who was really good, dumped him and was never that good again.

Saying that Tyson wasn't that good without Rooney takes nothing away from Tyson. Rooney's just that special kind of trainer. He worked with him from when he was a kid, so he helped develop him as a fighter. He helped him develop his unorthodox style and to focus on brushing up on his technique rather than simply relying on his power. Most importantly, he knew how to keep Tyson focused and motivated. The hired gun trainers Tyson got after Rooney didn't have anywhere near his talent. Especially Snowell who shouldn't have been anywhere near an undisputed heavyweight champion. They couldn't keep Tyson motivated. They didn't develop his technical skills. They had him lifting weights (which he never did with Rooney) and standing straight up stationary in the centre ring which is exactly how Douglas kept catching him. Most importantly they had him reliant on his power which is how guys like Holyfield, who has tremendous punch resistance, and Lewis, who had a wide depth of skills, eventually beat him.

Rooney says that Tyson was like a brother to him and you'll notice that Tyson rarely talks about him. That's because Tyson knows he ****ed up.

 

Bla,bla bla...excuses!
He was in physical shape and in very good shape!He was just one pounds heavier than year previous destruction of Spinks and Bruno so enough with stupid excuses!
He was floored by McCall and Holyfield many years before that so that means he was never in his prime?
And that Rooney myth is most stupid thing I ever heard on this planet.
Without Rooney Tyson destroyed Spinks and Bruno in his comeback faster than with Rooney.Rooney was nothing but average trainer who was created as mythical by stupid Tyson fans.Just ask Vin Pazman about Rooney and how bad trainer he was it would broke every Rooney myth!

 

Rooney took a comebacking Paz all the way to the title again.

 

He had Rooney for Spinks. That was the last time Rooney trained Tyson. You can see him freaking hug Rooney right after the fight

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If you know the answer IYO why did you bother asking the question if your mind is already made up???

 

I think Buster Douglas made him look bad.

 

Rooney has not trained one other notable fighter to success. He had Pazienza for a while but that was not Rooney's doing. Way overrated due to his connection with D'Amato and Tyson. Atlas has had more success than Rooney.

 

Rooney trained probably one of the most financially successful fighters in the history of the sport to an undisputed title and superstardom, and he got something like $5million of his money as settlement when Tyson broke their contract. He doesn't really need to train anybody else.

He's also suffering from early dementia

Atlas, for all his hatred and vitriol towards Tyson, is constantly confronted with the fact that Tyson is his best work. All the others were five minute champions at best, who never set the world on fire the way Tyson did.