The only guys I'm picking are Ali, Foreman, Holmes, Holyfield and Lennox Lewis... I think Fury could win but he's too inconsistent so I gotta go with Mike Tyson Who would you pick up beat a prime Mike Tyson ?
Favourites… Ali Foreman Liston Louis 50-50… Dempsey Holmes Holyfield Live Underdogs… Lewis Tunney Walcott
Excellent post. I can't see Dempsey being 50-50 though. At a stretch, I could see him as a live underdog. I also don't think Louis's chin holds up but I can definitely see why you have him as the favorite.
People forget Lewis is actually a year older than Tyson. I think we know how a 23 yo Lewis vs a 22 year old Tyson would have went.
That's if you think the Tyson that Douglas faced was actually in prime condition, and if not, whether you think he'd be able to replicate his performance if Tyson was in prime condition.
Mike Tyson was undefeated in his entire career if you look at all the asterisks his fans put next to his so-called losses: Douglas* (had sex in Japan) Holy I* (got a boo-boo) Holy II* (got another boo-boo, how could we expect him to NOT bite the guy’s ear off) Lewis* (old, even though he and Lewis were about the same age) Those other two guys** (was old, didn’t care, so doesn’t count)
I should add ‘Favourites’ has considerable nuance to it. I see Foreman as a substantially safer bet vs Tyson than Louis is.
That was my point. The suspicion is he did turn pro that late as he didn't want to run into Mike when he was on his tear.
Buster Douglas because he beat a prime Mike Tyson, Larry Holmes, George Foreman, Holyfield, Lennox Lewis would all beat a prime Tyson. Tyson Fury couldn't beat Usyk, Tyson Fury struggled against 180 pound Steve Cunnigham. A prime Tyson would jump all over Fury despite the height difference.
If were talking prime Tyson or between the years 1986-89. I'll go with prime Liston, Prime Foreman, Prime Ali. In that order. 50-50 Lewis , (When Steward trained him) Bowe (When Futch trained him) Frazier (Fotc) and Holyfield . Anyone else? I don't like their chances .....
Tyson was faded when Lennox beat him, but I could see Ali using the same tactics Lennox used to beat him. Smother him in the first few rounds and then box him when he's tired.
Mike’s the one who gave up a championship belt rather than face Lewis, not the other way around. The idea that amateurs were quivering in their boots and delaying going pro because Mike Tyson (who didn’t even make it to the Olympics because he couldn’t beat Henry freaking Tillman) was out there is pretty ridiculous. But if Mike had wanted a piece of LL earlier, he could have fought him when Lennox was his mandatory rather than bin his belt. That’s fact.
