Has Mike Tyson ever got off the canvas to win a fight?

People saying "Lennox didn't either!!!!" Yeah. He didn't get PUT DOWN IN THE FIRST PLACE.

Beside 2 flash knockdowns from fights he avenged with KOs in kind, he beat everybody in the best era.

 

Rooney is another mythical item in Tyson folklore.

In reality, Tyson never rated him. Not only did he fire him personally but he also said "trainers are glorified cheerleaders" referring to Rooney. He didn't want anything to do with him once he fired him, and he never reached out to him ever again, not even when he was fresh out of prison and needed to rebuild his career. Hardly surprising, considering Tyson always had little love for Rooney. Even long before he fired him, Tyson said "I know just as much as he if not more" and that Rooney "is merely there to remind me of the things I forget". He absolutely didn't rate Rooney whatsoever. Ultimately, that's why he fired him. He didn't see him as invaluable or essential. His fans rated Rooney much more than he did, apparently.

And in any case, I've always found all these "Cus died" and "Rooney wasn't around anymore" angles too condescending and too convenient. How great was Tyson if he was in such desperate need of one specific trainer because without them he folds like a cheap tent? How could an ATG fighter be so dependent on one trainer and one trainer only?

 

Well, after Rooney left, the record speaks for itself

 

And that's exactly why the Rooney argument is a double-edged sword as it can prove that Tyson is not an ATG because
1) he would only have been able to be more successful with one specific trainer
2) he absolutely misjudged the importance and value of Rooney

So ironically, if you think it through, the Rooney argument that Tyson fans are so prone to use actually does more harm than good to Tyson's legacy.

 

lennox didnt either

 

Well, his style didn't really allow for longevity in the first place anyway, it's possible even with Rooney and Cus, he wouldn't have fought for much longer anyway. Going to prison for 3 years killed his career, and those would have been some more prime domination years with some nice 90s names under his belt

 

I highly doubt any version of Tyson could do anything about Holyfield or Lewis. Even as early as in his mythical "prime", even average journeymen who weren't intimidated by him or had a useful jab could go the distance with him. Tyson has always been a one dimensional boxer.

 

Tiny difference: Lewis avenged his losses - and only had two of those. Tyson never avenged any of his losses - and he had six. Lewis is duly among the top 3-5 HWs ever, Tyson not even in the top 10.

 

Bonecrusher also landed a hard one on Tyson in the last few seconds of their contest.

 

Yeah and it definitely caught his attention, the shot looked like it buzzed him for a split second.

 

Yeah and the funny thing was that was Bonecrusher's plan...to wait for the final seconds when Tyson was tired and catch him with a haymaker.....and it almost worked, but not quite!

 

He was rocked more than was let on at the time, just watch the replay at the 59:00 mark, the shot hit him high on the temple and his legs gave a dance.

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Tyson was also buzzed quite badly early on in the first Holyfield bout.

 

2 flash knockdowns ? he was knocked silly by McCall, that he couldn't even stand up straight and staggered 3 times. And after the Rahman KO Lewis didn't even know state he was in. Not exactly what i would class as "flash knockdowns".

I also wish we could of had a better conclusion to the McCall rematch but it is what it is.

 

Spinks and Holmes are ATG's who were never stopped by any other fighter other than Tyson. Tyson also unified and cleaned out the division in the 80s beating every worthwhile contender, of course he beat plenty of top opponents.