What Heavies in Boxing History Do You Favor Over the Tyson Who Beat Spinks?

Honestly, one of the only heavies in history that I can say has a "definite chance" of winning vs primeTyson is Foreman, and even then I'd only put him at about a 25% chance of winning, because he might be able to club Tyson before he can land anything. Foreman's iron jaw would keep him upright, but his ONLY chance at winning the fight is to plod forward and throw nonstop "Foreman haymakers" and hope he gets lucky.

Liston I would NOT pick over Tyson. Prime Tyson feared no-one, so we can say the intimidation factor is nil in this fight (I don't know if Liston would've feared Tyson, but we can assume he wouldn't). Liston has the tools, but not the style to trouble Tyson. I always thought Liston looked slow, and being slow is NOT the way you beat prime Mike. Liston being "big and strong" is a nonfactor, because he was nowhere near fast enough to touch Tyson. Liston also got kocked out twice by Ali...who was no Shavers in the punching department. Liston's reach might've troubled little-man Floyd Patterson, but Tyson wouldn't be fazed.

I'm a HUGE Liston fan, btw, I just don't think he had what it took to beat Tyson.

Ali, on the other hand...yeah, he had "speed". I don't know if his hand/footspeed was faster than Tyson's was in his peak, but it really doesn't matter. Tyson never got beat by guys who tried to run away from him (look at Spinks and Holmes...both were past their peak, but running was NOT the way to beat Mike). If Tyson was ANYTHING, he was a master and slipping the jab and dropping the bomb. I'd give Ali a 10-25% chance of beating Tyson, and that's only if the ref lets him hug and rabbit punch his way to a decision.

There's no way he could rope-a-dope Tyson. It worked on Big George because he was dumb enough to punch himself out, and he lacked the speed/precision to nail Ali clean, anyway. Tyson KO1 Ali if he tried to lay on the ropes

The only proven way to beat prime Tyson is to slug it out over 12 (15) rounds. I'd give prime Holyfield 50/50 odds of beating prime Tyson, because Holy's got a cast-iron jaw and the skills/heart needed to stay alive vs. Tyson. It would definately be an amazing fight, possibly the best in HW history :yep

Anyone else I can't really pick over him. To beat Tyson you either needed to drag it into a war to end ALL wars (Prime Holyfield) and win a decision or to beat him at his own game (A combination of killer instinct, pinpoint accuracy, blinding speed, and power). We never saw anyone that came close to the latter.

I think it's worth pointing out that prime Tyson (or ANY Tyson, for that matter! ) NEVER lost a decision.

I'm a big Tyson fan, but I can admit he had his vulnerabilities. I just can't tell from old footage if guys like Moore, Louis, Baer, Dempsey, Johnson, etc would be able to do it. It's a possibility, but I think that pre-60/70s boxers as a whole are HIGHLY overrated. I think Marciano has a decent shot, but he's REALLY small in comparison to Tyson, and the very few "big men" he fought were nowhere near as deadly as Tyson.

Just my two cents!

 

Lenox Lewis in his prime but it would not be easy

 

Tyson's speed,power eluusvieness and agresive style would make him difcult for anyone to beat.

 

kevin mcbride, danny williams

 

Yeah Mike looked great that night in 1988, but Spinks was totally scared, too small, not had the tools to cope with that..

In my opinion, these guys would've beaten Mike:

LISTON- 58'-61 version
Prime JOE FRAZIER- 69-71' could've beaten about anyone
Ali, even the 70's version of Ali..
Holyfield probably always had Mike's number..

 

Someone who stands up to him has a chance. Beating the likes of Carl Williams, Bonecrusher Smith, Tony Tucker, and the rest of the late '80's detritus doesn't mean he can beat every ATG.

I can see Liston, Ali, Foreman (old or young), Lewis, V. Klitschko, Tua, and Bowe all beating a "prime" Tyson. And Holyfield always beats him.

It helps to be big, it helps to have skills, it helps to have a solid chin. But, more importantly, it helps to be mentally stronger than Mike. Anyone of the aforementioned fighters would have broken Mike down mentally. He was a front-runner, and a bully. And when someone with some decent skills/chin showed no fear and stood up to him, he lost. Maybe with the exception of Ruddock, Mike never was able to "dig deep" against someone.

 

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i don't think any version of ali necessarily runs away from tyson although the pre '67 version would i think be up on his toes and giving him lightning quick jabs and combinations.it's allright saying tyson was never beaten by runners but he never fought a "runner" like ali.also on the inside tyson wasn't great was certainly no frazier and although no great infighter himself ali was a master at tying a fighter up in there.it would be at mid range where tyson would have his best chance. if he could manoeuvre himself into position to unleash his lightning quick combo's especially the left hook which ali was vulnerable to tyson's hand speed could definitely give ali problems. ali certainly never faced the combination of speed and power in a puncher like tyson.i'd always take ali he's my favourite all time fighter so i'm probably bias but this would be very tough.

 

I would only Favor Ali at his peak to beat Tyson because of his Ring Intelligence, slightly greater speed, and boxing skill. I think a prime Ali would outsmart Tyson and beat him on points.

 

Buster Douglas for a kick off.

Lennox Lewis also springs to mind.

Perhaps Holyfield.

Then there are old timers like Ali and Foreman who would both stand a great chance.

 

A post before said that Liston would have a good chance against Tyson because he wouldnt be intimidated by him, that I agree with. But I believe a young Foreman would have a good chance with a prime Tyson as well, he was never intimidated by anyone and had the the overall size and power to back Tyson up. Something that never happend to him in his prime, close call in that one.

 

Ali (1967)
Foreman (1973)
Lewis (2000)
Louis (1942)
Liston (1962)
Marciano (1953)
Larry holmes (1982)

Anyone can prevail on a given night, but IMO, the above would be favoured over any version of Tyson in their primes.

 

:rofl:rofl