Another quote from Mike Tyson...

Fair comment from Tyson. He's one strange cat alright.

 

I think hes a bad ass KYTFO type character like them, rather than the better schooled, Ali, Holmes, Lewis type characters

 

The obvious similarity, is that they were all the bad boys of boxing as portrayed in the media. They were also all offensive dreadnoughts.

Personality wise, I see a lot of similarities between Tyson and Liston, but I think that Dempsey was cut from a completely different cloth.

 

Tyson is a bum compared to those guys.

 

:rofl:roflatsch


Behold RoosterC, King of all ******ed Tyson-Haters.

 

Image wise, I love the use of "cloth" in that quote. Old school definitely.

I think comparison is apt. Certainly his championship run is far superior to either of those.

 

That is more than debatable.

 

Of course it is. Why do you think I threw that in there? Actually, it is not debatable against Liston, who had no real reign. Dempsey fought a couple of retreads, an overrated lightheavy, an oaf and a sick dude. Tyson fought some drug addicts, a great lightheavy, an oaf who was champ and a donut enthusiast (who also liked drugs)... On the plus side for Tyson is the fact he didn't run from a number 1 contender for his entire reign...

 

Peak Tucker was in supreme condition, he was no drug addict when Tyson fought him.

 

No, he just lost to him twice, if that is any better.

 

I was thinking of Pinky. But you are correct. I think the doughnut enthusiast needs no further identification.

 

John L Sullivan is somtimes lumped with this trio, despite the fact that he had a long title reign.

 

So, if Tyson retires when he goes to prison, his reign looks better?

During his first run he defended 9 times, 7 for the unified title, and beat 8 current, former or future belt holders.

Of course, there was only one belt in Dempsey's time but he beat Miske, Brennan, Carpentier, Gibbons and Firpo, none ever title challengers before or after, though some likely could have been were there multiple belts. Miske, a fine fighter, was sick as we all know. Brennan did well against Jack and had been better beaten by a younger Dempsey, as well as thrashed repeatedly by MW Greb. Carpentier was a lightheavy who played heavy on the WWI hero promotion side and light on ability as a true heavyweight. Gibbons is arguably his best win, but again as great as he was, he was 175 pounder. Firpo, by most rulesets KO'd Dempsey, but for the lassitude in ring rules which allowed assistance to the champ to reenter the ring. Greb and Wills, arguably the two best fighters available were not met.

I see one very consistent and comprehensive reign against the best challengers available and another inconsistent, sporadic reign against depleted, undersized fighters which missed two of the best match-ups... (against yet another undersized heavy which speaks to the times.)

 

I think the quote shows that Tyson shows not only has more than a working knowledge of boxing history, but also his place in it.

The description is apt. He's right. And I would put his reign above either Dempsey's or Liston's.