Could Either Klitschko Have Beaten Mike Tyson ?

I'm boring. Both Klitschko's win. They are just too big. They aren't going to win a boxing match because they are too big, but it's everything else they do well. They both have good fundamentals, conditioning, hit hard, relatively good defense, fast for their size, etc. Tyson psyched a lot of his opponents out, but if Tyson fought the Klitschko's I'd think he would get psyched out a little. When you are in the ring with a guy that is about 8 inches taller and outweighs you by 30 pounds that knows how to box I don't think you need to be Freud to realize you may not win this fight.

 

Tyson beats both, especially with a fair ref. Vitali's too predictable and straightforward, and a whopping target both downstairs and up. Wlad wouldn't have the game to get some early respect. Tyson would keep attacking, Wlad would keep clinching, but at some point sooner rather than later Tyson would clip him and the beginning of the end would be there. He wouldn't have the clearness to tie Tyson up enough to thwart the finish.

 

The Vitali fight looks like the Tucker fight.
Tucker was more skilled than Vitali.

Mike can do everything Brewster did only 10x better and more efficiently.

The bob n weave is Kryptonite to guys who relied on straight shots.
It's simple geometrics. Angles beat straight lines.
He moved his body faster than Wk threw a punch
Hes too fast and aggressive for Wlad.
Wk is thrown into panic mode from the opening bell

 

Wlad's whole style is built around complete removal of danger and relies on complicit referees to hide his vulnerabilities. Most greats demonstrate composure in the midst of severe adversity and one thing that prime Tyson demonstrates is that your composure, chin and resolve will be tested.

Buster is not synonymous as he has greater mobility, better punching arsenal and was just quicker all around. Even then, Buster has to get off the canvas.

Wlad isn't a courageous fighter by any means, he's just very good at negating the chances of testing his resolve. His body is a big target and Mike has no problems getting his shots off.

I wouldn't be surprised by Mike having him panicking and caught trying to retreat or trying to grab where a less lenient referee removes that tactic from the playing field.

 

I agree with every facet mate. His speed and elusiveness early on coming forward will certainly be nothing like anything Wlad has every seen before, as well.

 

On the other hand Mike never faced that big of a guy who is a great overall boxer with an ATG jab and a punch harder than any of Mike's opponents.

 

Mike was trained to feast on fighters who threw the jab and were bigger than him.

Whilst he hadn't faced a fighter as big, he certainly sparred with fighters with great jabs and beat fighters with good to great jabs.

Mike takes a single shot better than Ali, IMO, especially considering his come forward style and he never got stopped without making the other fighters earn it whilst he was still a credible world class fighter. His footspeed, punching ability, defensive skill and mindset very much will test Wlad's resolve and whilst Wlad does have an ATG jab, he doesn't have ATG chin or courage under fire. Where he seeks retreat and disengagement, other greats embrace the war and find calm and a way to win when it looks bleak.

Any ref from Mercante to Lane isn't allowing Wlad to unceremoniously try and clinch-hug Mike to death and remove this facet of his game from a hypothetical contest, then Wlad very much has to face Mike at some point of the fight in a way where he hasn't demonstrated that he could do so with composure. With Mike, if your defensive structure crumbles or you become hesitant and lack the footspeed, pivotting and ability to throw in combination, turn, reset and keep him from landing and gaining momentum, it's a long day for you.

 

And yet he had problems with Tucker and Douglas. He was also frustrated by Smith hugging him. Wlad would maul him in the clinches, even if the ref won't let him do it that often. You might be right that Mike takes a single shot better than Ali, but again, he never fought a puncher as good as Wlad. Wlad's jab is like a power punch and looking at the weight difference, Tyson may be in the ring against something he never saw before.

 

I think he could have beaten Wlad but lost to Vitali idk

 

Mike won most of those fights and they predominantly hugged and abandoned any aspirations of winning, outside of Buster, whose game was more about the mobility behind the jab, the reset and mental resolve in dealing with and negating Mike's overall momentum.

Tyson will be in the ring with something he's seen before and Wlad will be in the ring with something that he's definitely not seen before.

Wlad isn't mauling anyone ala what Lewis used to do.

There is a very real issue here with Wlad's chin and survivability once tagged by a hard hitting fast puncher and in every one of the fights where Tyson was frustrated or struggled, he landed something. Even when past prime and manhandled by Evander, he landed something.

I just happen to think that Wlad's chin gives out before Mike gets worn down.

 

And it's a perfectly reasonable outcome, I have it as 50/50 just because of Wlad's chin, but Klitschko has everything to neutralize Mike if he's not hit repeatedly.

 

We are agreed and in every scenario where I favour good jabbers to beat Mike, they have to survive his fire.

Unfortunately, I'm not a fan of Wlad's chin and psyche around protecting it. I just think Mike catches him early and enough of Wlad's confidence is shaken and thus Tyson does what Tyson does.

Put it this way, if Tyson lands a Buster type shot on an otherwise dominant Wlad, I still would reckon Tyson pulls it out the bag, rather than Wlad recovers and goes back to basics.

 

The voice of reason.

 

I thought I was losing my mind reading these comments.