Tyson’s skill and handspeed wins it for him. Mercers durability and enormous heart helps him to go the distance. Both men get hit with some very hard shots.
1991 Tyson beats any version of Mercer. Mercer was at his best 95/96 in my opinion but went through a bad phase just before. Tyson 1991 stops the 1991-94 Mercer and decisions the 95/96 version.
Think about it this way- Mercer at his mostly agreed upon peak should've LOST to an old Tim Witherspoon. Tyson beats him at any point during the 90s.
The Tyson who beat Ruddock/Stewart would've won a wide UD or possibly even stops Mercer late if he really presses the issue. Mercer had an iron chin, but very leaky defense and could sometimes get marked up or cut. Tyson was also just too fast and too skilled to lose to Mercer even if it became a brawl. Mercer isn't bringing anything to the table Tyson hasn't seen before ability wise, Mercer was maybe a slightly harder punching equivalent of Berbick perhaps. But if we're talking about post prison Tyson, that's a completely different fight. Tyson's stamina, speed, head movement, and technique had all declined after the layoff and those are the 4 most important ingredients that would've allowed Tyson to beat Mercer in the first place. If Tattoo Tyson didn't manage to stop Mercer in the first 5 rounds, he gets drug into deep waters and KO'd 99% of the time.
Mercer has no chance against an early 90s Tyson before he went to prison who would beat the hell out of Mercer and possibly stop him late on. The mid 90s Tyson vs the Mercer who fought Holyfield, Lewis, that would be a much different fight as Tyson was only a 4 round fighter at that point and he may get disheartened in the 2nd half of the fight.
