"Berbick is down, and we have a new era in boxing!"

Man, big questions.

At one time, he was probably the most famous man on the planet.

A 1986 Tyson is probably top ten heavyweight of all time.

A sad story in a way in that basically everyone who ever cared for him for who he was, died before Mike was old enough to have resilience; I think people underestimate the psychological damage caused by his relationship with Robin Givens, for one.

A far more intelligent man than is given credit for too.

Achieved about 20% of what he was capable of BUT, conversely, will also be regarded as a bully and a quitter.

Strange cat, one of boxing - and sport's - few genuine 20c. icons.

 

I'm not one of the younger generation but Tyson was sorely needed around that time. The HWs were poor and it says it all that prior to that Hector Camacho of all people was being touted as the next mainstream crossover star of the sport.

He helped define his era both inside and outside of boxing and transcended the sporrt like Ali, Dempsey, Louis and arguably Marciano before him. Vastly overrated at the time as the ATG heavyweight, maybe a little underated that the moment, maybe he'll get a bit more credit in a few more years when the dust has really settled a la Larry Holmes.

 

It was a myth that the heavyweights where poor, the 1980's was possibly the most talented ear for Heavyweights..? but yet again..? it was the era of sex, drugs, and rock and roll....Rick James Style.

1.70's

2.90'S

3.80's

In that order! they are the 3 greatest era's in heavyweight boxing on pure ability.

 

when i think of tyson i dont let what happened outside the ring influence what i thought of him as a boxer.

low point was douglas defeat and such a shame a rematch couldnt have been worked out....high point, perhaps what he did to larry holmes, even with larry being old it showed how good he was to do to him what he did, and larry was one of the great champions himself.

i dont know where i'd rate him...hard to not let a bad loss over many rounds to douglas not to make you scratch your head as to where you could rate him....did extremely well to come back from his holidays after 3 years and win a couple of belts again...for me, its a real head-scratcher where to rate him

 

OK let me rephrase that. "The HWs were boring", good strength in depth but God awful to watch. People who followed boxing wern't really arsed about the HWs in the 80s, let alone casual fans. A hangover from the Ali, Foreman, Frazier era no doubt.

I know thats true because I was watching them.

 

I watched them aswell, you *****.

 

That question is as complex as Tyson himself. If there's no such thing as bad publicity, Tyson has been the best to happen in boxing in the past 25 years. The reality is his career has had an absolute rollercoaster effect on boxing. Huge highs. Terrible lows. Same as Tyson's own not so private life.

 

2011 - 24 = ?

Go be a dick with someone else PK.

 

weaver v dokes

holyfield v dokes

holmes v cooney

norton v texx cobb

tyrell biggs v david bay

franseco damiani v ray mercer (was this 80's?)


80's heavies weren't all bad.

 

i'll tell you, damiani give him kittens until that happened.

 

3 out of those 6 fights were after Tyson became champ. I've never seen Norton-Cobb but Holmes-Cooney was nothing special outside of the White Hope angle.

Even if there were enteraining fights, the fighters wern't catching the public interest like Ali did before and Tyson would after.

Witherspoon-Tubbs.....;-)

 

Also...

Tony Tucker
Tony Tubbs
Pinklon Thomas
Tim Witherspoon.
Mitch Green
Buster Douglas
James Quick Tillis
Alex Stewart
Carl Williams
Greg Page

and more...

All 80's fighters, and early 90's guys all very talented. The 80's was very talented....

 

yeah..i hear you.....i thought, as a young doug, that dokes would be a superstar when he first came to prominence, but it didnt work out....he was VERY exciting to watch early on