The fighters he couldn't intimidate. Fighters that could've intimidated him. Street fighting has no real rules, but a fighter that has trained all his life in a certain discipline will instinctively fall back on what he's learned. If that's punching, that's going to be the 1st thing he does. Tyson was the typical bully, meaning he would instinctively attack a person he's intimidated 1st. But what if he was intimidated? What if it's Charles "Sonny " Liston and not Mitch "Blood" Green a man he's already beaten and was confident he'd beat anywhere. What if he knew the street rep of Charles Liston? Mob Leg breaker? Check, a well known street fighter in his own right? Check. A black man willing to put white police officers in a garbage can in the 1960's, him having to know what the consequences could be for a black man willing to beat up 1950's 60's white police officers in America. Holyfield showed who Tyson was in his soul, and we saw it many times after. He was an exceptionally skilled bully. But when that cloak of invincibility was taken from him? See the Douglas fight, The Holyfield fight. The fight where he became frustrated and attempted to break the opponents arm. The wild tirade before the Lewis fight. I'll go with any fighter that could make him hesitate and self doubt. Meaning he won't get the 1st, and usually the best shot in. That moment of hesitation probably makes him a victim of fighters like Liston, Foreman, Holyfield, possibly fighters like Dempsey, or a Ron Lyle, a James Scott. Anyone fighter that could make him hesitate, and have the history to prove it. Whom wouldn't be afraid to get off 1st. The most important time in a street fight.
Mike Tyson said in a press conference the following day that he was scared when Mitch Green confronted him at Dapper Dan's before their Harlem street fight. He said he hadn't been in a street fight for many years. Yet, that didn't prevent Tyson from splitting Green's head open between the eyes and swelling Green's eye shut. When he got into it with Lennox Lewis before their fight at the press conference, and a brawl erupted, he was on the floor trying to bite chunk out of Lennox's upper thigh. (Lucky for Lennox that Tyson's focus below the belt was just on his thigh. LOL.) Tyson, when cornered, was probably even more dangerous. Hell, he was supposedly afraid of Holyfield, and to get out of the fight he tried to bite Holyfield's ear off. (LOL) He may have avoided fights, but once he was in them, he tried to inflict as much damage as possible. Nobody got away unscathed. I mean, could anyone say they won a street fight with Tyson if they tell you that while missing their ear and testicles? (LOL) Arms heal. Testicles and ears don't grow back.
Another tough guy at heavyweight was Ron Lyle, when he was locked up in the slammer, he did no laundry and housekeeping for his cellmate. I did know that Roberto Duran and Carlos Monzon used to terrorize their neighborhood as teenagers, as adults they kept in touch.
Street fighting who though? People who have backgrounds in other combat sports are actually fighting people who know what they’re doing such a Vitali Klitschko, and when Tyson fought in the streets it was against nobodies I swear you love to disagree with me
Depends on your street fight rules — and if you have rules, it ain’t no street fight. Guy who brings a shiv or a gun wins.
You said Tyson wasn't a good street fighter. That simply isn't true. He was 12 years old fighting guys in their 20s and 30s, twice the size of him and knocking them out. It doesn't matter how much experience you have in other combat sports if you're facing a well experienced, street fighter in his domain like Tyson was. All the MMA, in the world won't protect you from a brick to the head.
I wouldn't whine & cry about it or look to the ref to save me. Sorry Kami, but history shows yr hero to be lacking when the going got tough.
My point exactly Tyson would do crazy **** if his life is threatened Liston is bigger and stronger and probably scarier but he got psyched out by Ali because of Ali's ingenious crazy behavior ... Who is crazier than Mike Tyson on the street? Tyson also recently said he was scared he might have killed Green because he wasn't moving ... And Green was on angel dust
You're basing Tyson's entire career over one match? C'mon Morlocks! Iron Mike ain't Andy Go-low-ta...
Tyson was a 'naughty' boy as a youth, but he was under the protective and supportive eye of Cus D'Amato for much of his later teenage yrs, wheras the Listons of this world were truly fighting on the mean streets to survive, quite literally life or death. Early career Tyson blows majority away in the squared circle, however once you take that onto the streets with no holds barred fighting, the Listons, Golotas and i will even throw in Wepner, are fighting in a arena that they know better than Tyson. The likes of Jim Jefferies would be a helluva opponent to face in a street fight, he could absorb immense punishment, was strong as a ox and did train in grappling too, As others have mentioned Vitali and his likes well grounded in kick boxing would present a mighty challenge. Fact is any of the above are not on my list of fighters i'd want to face in the pavement arena.
