Best heavyweight toe to toe?

Bowe

 

Tyson was NOT a good in fighter. In fighting is when two opponents are chest to chest or forehead to forehead. The best in that circumstance is Joe Frazier.

 

Louis
Foreman
Liston

I put Tyson in a different Swarmer category.

 

The definition of toe to toe fighting is up close, taking ground in an exchange. Soaking it up and giving it back. This was not wise tactics but often a last resort. Tyson was a great fighter of skill and explosive combinations, he was not an inside fighter in this sense. Not one bit.

Jack Dempsey and Joe Frazier were great heavyweight inside fighters. Mike Tyson was not. He rested inside, he did his damage on the way in. If the other man was able to work he held. This is no disrespect to Tyson, he was able to score more effectively outside of this level so he did. Why bring it down to 50-50 when you have the tools? He wanted to get off when the other man could not, using an angle to blind side or beat the guy to the draw.

 

Tyson was better at hitting on the way in, granted, but tell me one fighter who was able to beat him on the inside in his actual career?

 

Liston,Dempsey,Marciano ,are my picks.
Foreman wanted you out a bit further.
Frazier had only one big gun.
Louis could fight effectively inside but seemed to prefer mid -range, where he could soften you up with his immaculate jab.
Holyfield was comfortable there but lacked the crushing power of the trio I picked.
Others for consideration?
Tyson ,really a mid- range fighter ,but his handspeed and punch variety always made him dangerous ,he had a tendency to go passive when in a clinch , not a good idea against these maulers.

Jeffries, his strength and good power put him in the frame.

Bowe,as good an inside fighting super heavy as I have seen.

 

If we use your definition then yes I agree. But you all you have established is that fighters have different styles. Dempsey and Frazier fought the best way to maxmise their physical trait.


Regardless Tyson could fight in the inside and tore people up. You would be hard pressed to get any professional or amateur trainer to say that Tyson didnt have skills on the inside or very short range.

Practically any highlight of kos of Youtube has Tysons right uppercut, right body hook-right uppercut, short left hook all delivered from the inside. Yes its not chest to chest but seriously who the heck woukd stand flat flooted and try to slug it out with such a dynamic puncher. Thats would be the worst game planning of any corner. Some people has even suggested Foreman didnt he an inside game. Maybe to the technical letter of the law but the fact remains that they can punch like a truck and guys flop around even if half clipped.

 

Watching frazier vs quarry and seeing Joe smiling away to himself, he really enjoyed it close up and personal.

 

The right hook to the body, right undercut combo was beautiful and brutal and tyson at his beat.

 

Botha stood with Tyson. Bruno went after Tyson. Yes Tyson eventually beat both to the draw and knocked both of them out but Peter Mcneeley backed Tyson up more than the required three steps asked of this thread. The Question was toe to toe. That's where two guys punch back and forth head to head. Tyson came in, beat you up on the way in... then held.

This is why I hate this whole swarmer/slugger terminology. all come forward guys fight different ways. It's not always slugging or sluggers.

 

Why is everyone caught up with Tyson's somewhat deficient inside game? The question allowed for three steps between the combatants; that's not forehead to forehead at all. In fact I have a two-pronged question: who else among the most prominent players head-to-head outside of Ali and Holmes stayed more than three steps away when the opponent wasn't charging in? I assume when someone like Frazier takes a step forward in this hypothetical, someone like Wlad can take a step back to reset distance.

So, yeah, I pick Tyson.

Lewis, who I'd normally pick over Mike, would also excel. But there's no respite for that less-than-solid chin under these rules. Tyson's pressure should eventually tell over time.

 

My understanding was this is an infighting question. Tyson was not an infighter.

It's not who's the the best puncher or even who would win in normal situations.

I think Janitor is asking who is the most effective heavyweight within a range among the best in- fighters.

It might not even be a champion.

 

Ali.

 

Ike vs Tua is the definition of HWs going toe to toe, non stop, 12 rds. We´ll probably never see a HW fight like that again.

 

Not unless we start calling cruiserweights "heavyweights"