Most realistic path for Mike Tyson to have finished his career as HW GOAT?

Theoretically if he didn’t go to prison he could’ve fought and possibly beat Evander and Riddick Bowe if he beat both convincing enough that’s very special. Top it off with a defence over MM and a few other top guys as well as a Lennox Lewis KO and you have the worlds best HW resume wise.

 

Prime Tyson was the most skilled heavyweight I`ve ever seen and he was improving, he would have beaten everybody until he reached 30 and started to slow down a bit.

 

In an alternate universe where he gets off the floor to beat Douglas, it would be wise to take some time off and a tune up. Next is Hoylfield, they'd probably want to have a rematch clause since both are such elite fighters and undefeated. Let's say he goes 2-0.

A few tune ups and he beats up Ruddock whose been patiently waiting as #1 contender. Next he decisions old Foreman. Tyson has a few easy fights, probably taking out Stewart along the way, while Bowe establishes himself as the next mandatory challenger beating guys like Tubbs and Holyfield. Tyson and Bowe have an epic showdown in New York for all the belts and Tyson wins by the skin of his teeth replacing Holyfield in a series of wars from 1992-1993.

There wouldn't be anything else for Tyson to prove and he retires with one hell of a resume. I would consider him #1.

 

no path not enough decent competition in his time for that to happen.

 

Lewis? Holy? Bowe? That beats most heavyweight resumes.

 

Nonsense. The late 80's to early 90's were stacked with a large talent pool.

 

Joe Louis defeated 8 hall of fame boxers ,Jack Johnson defeated 7 , Ali defeated 7 . How many did Mike beat , I doubt he would have ever matched these guys hall of fame numbers .

 

The thread is asking what could Tyson do to be the best. Not who you think Tyson could beat.

You had 5 active hall of famers in Tyson's era: Holyfield, Holmes, Bowe, Foreman, and Lewis. Had he beat them all you would seriously have to consider granting him the #1 spot, especially if he supplemented those wins with some top contenders like Mercer, Witherspoon, McCall, Moorer, Morrison, etc.

Combine that with his accomplishments in the 80's and you'd have a damn near untouchable resume. Tyson certainly had the potential and the opponents available to be #1 all time

 

Sort of.

If he beat all those guys early, they wouldn't have been who they were.

Great resume, all the same.

 

I'm wondering if beating Holy and Bowe supersedes beating Foreman, Liston, Frazier, and Norton.

 

Long story short: see Salvador Sanchez.

The most realistic path ... as morbid as it sounds ... would've been if Tyson had died in 1989 after knocking out Carl Williams in one round in Atlantic City.

At that time, Mike Tyson was 37-0 with 33 knockouts. He held ALL the heavyweight titles (Ring, WBC, WBA, IBF). He'd made 10 successful defenses of his WBC belt. He had beaten eight former, reigning or future champions.

He was the biggest star in the entire sport. One of the biggest sports stars in the world. A household name who'd rarely lost a round in a title defense.

Every move he made was national news in the U.S.

Had he passed away in a plane crash, a motor accident, some tragic way ... he'd likely be considered one of, if not the best, heavyweight champions ever.

At the time, magazines were already doing mythical matchups between Tyson and Ali.

The question of whether Tyson would become THE BEST heavyweight ever was a major topic of conversation. That mostly came to an end when he lost to Douglas.

Salvador Sanchez was considered one of the greatest featherweights ever following his death up until this century when we sort of had the greatest era ever in featherweights. Just one great one after another.

Tyson likely would've gotten similar treatment.

Regardless, I still think Tyson is great.

 

Even in the real life time-line, he could have fought post prison: Moorer, Tua, Rahman and Mercer. Had he beat those 4, that would have in a way balanced out the Holyfield loss.

 

You need to manage his opponents so that they gain accomplishments of their own. So:

* Holyfield is rushed to a title fight in place of Douglas. Tyson trains for this one. He wins.

* Tyson goes to prison.

* Evander has his title reign.

* Bowe beats Holyfield.

* Tyson comes back from prison.

* Tyson comes back and Golotas Bowe.

* Tyson gets a lucky punch against Lennox. The ref stops the fight a bit early; a few cynics say Tyson got the benefit of the doubt to keep the cash flowing. Lennox gets McCall'd, and uses the lesson to work on his defense / hook up with Steward.

* Tyson massacres Michael Moorer, who never loses to Foreman or loses a rematch to Holyfield.

* Tyson never rematches Evander. This is fine. Most people point out that Comeback Tyson blasted out Moorer and beat Bowe, who both beat Evander. Plus, the slower, bulky Evander doesn't measure up to the nimble counterpuncher Tyson dispatched before prison, surely?

* Tyson takes on a string of OK guys he can still beat. This somewhat resembles Comeback Foreman's string of questionable opponents. Golota, Morrison, Stewart, Foreman himself (to silence the "He never could have beaten any version of Foreman" crowd), etc.

* Tyson realizes the jig is up. He retires before having to face Lennox or Holyfield again.

* Lennox becomes a dominant champion. He never films Ocean's 11. Never fights Rahman. Tyson remains the only guy to have KO'd him.



So...

Tyson has now beaten relatively prime (though not at their best) versions of Spinks, Holyfield, Bowe, Moorer, and Lennox. FIVE prime age lineal champions. He has also beaten Holmes and Foreman past their best. Tyson managed to catch most of those guys at awkward moments or downswings of their careers, but good timing and unusual luck will obscure that from boxing historians. He is also undefeated.

At this point, it's either Tyson or Louis. Depends if you prefer pure dominance, or dominance over a first rate era.

This would be difficult to stage manage, and isn't the most likely outcome, but I think it's just possible for Tyson to pull off with a closet full of rabbits' feet.

 

Just retire after Spinks.