Can 1986-89 Mike Tyson go through this gauntlet undefeated?

Perhaps I am not explaining myself well. I agree that Tyson was a handful for the period you identify but for me, his dynamic, animalistic, atavisitc physical and mental fistic prime, the Tyson that would give any heavyweight in history problems, was a relatively brief period. He was already partying, indulging in goodness knows what and had starting to seek 'mutually agreed truces', even in the period I specify, the Smith fight being a prime example. His dynamism was wearing off and he started to fall in love with his power and believe his own hype, a hype created by the world he lived in and obe which must have been headily addictive for one so young and with his mental fragilities.

I concede we are debating nuances, degrees of brilliance but for me his time as a phenom was limited...as, one can argue, was Ali's for instance, and this 'peak prime' Tyson as you identify it, occurred during a limited temporal window.

Thanks for your interesting post and valid points. Have a wonderful day, peace and love, Px

Further edit. I am an often lonely voice in NOT counting the Spinks fight as his absolute peak. Many reports suggest Spinks was a beaten man before the ring walk and even had he 'made a fight of it', his mobility was seriously limited in that fight. He was, in a sense, a historical coronation for Tyson, a tethered goat that signifies Mike's annointing as 'the' talent of the generations; something the boxing world loves to do with anyone who tears through the heavyweights and has a strong media attraction, 8 out of 10 cats are always enought to create an ATG, aint they, but for me there are many better, more meaningful performances in his career.

 

As your a last word freak, I'll give it to you. What 19 year old heavyweights in history do you pick to beat the 19 beat old Tyson that defeated Tillis ?

 

Well, no, it wouldn't be easy. Joshua is a bigger, stronger version of Bruno. If Mike underestimated him, he’d crush Tyson completely. If a prime Joshua were to face the Mike from the first Bruno fight, I think he’d handle it.

 

I don’t have as high of an opinion of Tyson as most people do. That said, he probably knocks out everyone in this list in three rounds or less.