Mike Tyson's P4P Greatness Overlooked ?

Also very impressive how few rounds he lost in the 1980s especially for someone who had a type of style that burns that much energy.

 

Yeah because Tyson critics aren't going to bring it up and Tyson fans aren't going to bring it up because it contradicts their image of him as death destroyer of worlds.

 

Yep. He's an ATG.

 

Or from a different perspective: he made such an impression on everyone, that putting him into a category of disadvantaged fighters just doesn't occur to anyone.

Credit to him and how good he was for a while.

Because while Serge is right, I think with his dimensions noone else ever (no matter how thick-set) came close to being the fighter Tyson was. His technique was a great part of his success and who else had a hall of fame trainer who drilled that into him and where he lived and adapted to him as his surrogate father...

 

Tyson is in a weird grey area; he's overrated by casuals and underrated by many hardcore fans. His P4P greatness is definitely overlooked. He was P4P number 1 for over two years and was the last truly enormous global crossover star the sport has had. He could've gone on to achieve remarkable things if he had stayed focused.

 

Yeah there ain’t been many recognised top p4p heavyweights ever since that term was invented in the 40s or 50s. Tyson was number 1 when Hagler lost to Leonard an he was number 1 until he lost to Douglas an Chavez took over. Since then only Usyk has been the only heavyweight to be in the argument to be the p4p number 1

 

Mike was a predator. He saw his opponents as prey.

Bruno described him quite well as being a harbour shark....

 

He's overrated by the general public but underrated by "some" boxing aficionados

 

Arguably even bigger than Muhammad Ali.

If Tyson was around today he would be making $100m paydays with insane regularity.

 

Mike Tyson was the most exciting fighter ever. It's not even close. Also one of the most talented. To be able to fight with that ferocity while maintaining great technique and defense was very impressive. It's easier to do it when you are moving around fighting defensively waiting on your opponent to throw first, but to do it while going balls to wall is a different story.

 

I think i read somewhere that he was ranked either number 1 P4P in somewhere in the top 5 and the end of 1989, which for a heavyweight, is rare i believe.

 

I think him not having a win on any of the great HWs of the 90s is what hinder him in the eyes of many. Having a win over Evan Fields, Bowe, Lennox Lewis etc.. would have been great for his resume. Even wins over guys like Michael Moorer or Ray Mercer would have been good.

 

Tyson v Bruno 1 is a very underrated fight in my opinion. I was cheering on Frank and he fought a bloody courageous fight, he really had a go. That was Tyson at his ferocious best I reckon.