Anyone felt Tyson started to deteroriate even before Rooney left?

How did you come to that conclusion ?

Michael Spinks is considered the pinnacle of Tyson's peak and that was 1988.

There was nothing in his fights during this period to suggest he was disinterested at all or showing any weaknesses.

Tyson had 3 very notable early stoppages in 1988 Tubbs, Holmes, Spinks.

Holmes & Spinks are amongst the best wins of his career.

So I'm not sure what you're on about to be quite honest.

 

Are you talking about his head movement/combinations ?

 

No not really.

 

Tyson admitted that he had started slacking in training little by little even before Rooney left. Once Rooney left, Tyson was completely done imo.

 

Spinks is widely regarded as his best performance and he has himself named the one against Holmes as his best. So, no.

 

Bruno is when he started showing bad habits.

 

I think that there is merit to the original premise.
Yes, Tyson destroyed Spinks but I don't think that there is much question that Spinks didn't come to win that night. I won't say that Spinks was scared and that it froze him. I will say that, on his way to the ring, he was probably not visualizing the fight unfolding and how he would be successful; more likely he was thinking of places he would rather have been, and it was a long list.
Yes, Tyson flattened Tubbs in 2. But, going into that fight, there was a lot of speculation that Tubbs wouldn't show up in condition to fight and everybody was relieved when he did, to the extent that he did. It wassn't like there was an expectation that fighting Tubbs was going to be any kind of a test.
And Tyson beat Holmes, who was in his late 30s and rusty from inactivity. And, if you remember the fight, Tyson wasn't really setting the world on fire. It was similar to the Pinklon Thomas fight; Tyson had that big flurry in the first round, then kind of struggled until the sequence that ended the fight. With Holmes, he was feeling his way until the right hand that dropped Holmes.

 

This sacred and holy group will NOT be pushing the agenda that Mike Tyson had a TWO YEAR PRIME.

 

How bout 5 month that’s what separated Holmes and Spinks fights. Take your pick. Doubt he slacked for either of those they were both considered very big fights for him at the time. Holmes it was thought was a major test even though he was coming out of retirement because of his greatness and his style. Spinks was to unify the title and Mike S had beaten Holmes twice.

 

By ’88 he was at his absolute peak, and people were predicting he’d be on his way to becoming the heavyweight GOAT.

What’s your basis for saying he appeared to be declining by ’88?

 

I noticed a slight deterioration in 1989 - first Bruno fight. Mike became one dimensional

 

Even as his skills and training diminished in 1989 he had fire in his belly and confidence. After the Douglas loss it was the same im incredibly impressed by his chin,stamina and will in the Ruddock fights.
There were 5 versions of Tyson in my view

1985-88 Rooney Tyson

1989 and 1991 Straight up Tyson.Head movement gone but tough,powerpuncher,Great Chin.

1995-99 post prison diminished unconfident Tyson

2000-2001: Tommy Brooks Tyson the best Tyson since 1991 the most skilled since 1988.

2002-2005 desireless flat track bully Tyson fighting for money.Power diminished

 

I wouldn’t say so. All his title fights with Rooney:

1986:

Trevor Berbick: dominant performance from Mike, nothing really to criticize

1987:

Bonecrusher Smith: This fight I actually haven’t seen in full, as people say I am missing nothing. From what I’ve heard, Smith earned the name ‘Boneclutcher’ as he held Mike constantly and appeared like he emphasized surviving the full 12 more than winning. I’ve also heard this was part of Mike’s tendency to be lazy in the clinches (as Teddy Atlas would talk about), so you can knock Mike for that if you want. It’s interesting, he was actually very active in the clinch against Mitch Green and punishing him with his free hand, but this was an anomaly as usually he just waited for the ref to separate.

Pinklon Thomas: I guess you can criticize Mike for giving up a round or 2 to Pinklon after having hurt him in round 1. But that’s probably just reaching, and overall it was another solid performance.

Tony Tucker: Tyson had some problems early on, as Tucker had some success with the uppercut, and good timing and movement. Tucker also supposedly fought with an injured hand. But Mike made the adjustments and won another unification bout with a solid workman like performance, outjabbing a guy who stood half a foot taller and had about a foot in reach.

Tyrell Biggs: Tyson just broke him down and gave him a brutal beating.

Larry Holmes: Tyson did what he needed to do and stopped an aging and inactive legend. For whatever it’s worth, Larry still had success afterwards. I can’t really think of anything to criticize Mike about in his performance.

Tony Tubbs: Tubby had quick hands and mixed it up with Mike. He had some success, until he took the famous right hook/right uppercut combo, a left hook, and the fight was over. Nothing I can knock Tyson about here.

Michael Spinks: nothing to knock Tyson’s performance here