Did Tysons slide start after the Berbick Fight?

i think it can be both really. it's the end of his peak, his greatest night of glory, and the night absolutely everything came together. all those marked the end of a hungry, young fighter striving for greatest and the beginning of a complacent phenom waiting to be taken

 

Rooney didn't allow him to slide in training. Instead he channeled his anger towards Spinks and that's why it was such a devastating performance. You could see the look in his eyes when he entered the ring. He was tuned. Tyson was still improving as a fighter but this would be the best he'd ever be in his career. Spinks was undefeated and never off his feet but he was made for Tyson?
Tyson was undefeated under Kevin Rooney and he completely destroyed what was supposed to be his stiffest challenge. Rooney was doing something right.

 

Spinks had been down in the Qawi fight. And hurt in others.

I'm certain the Tyson camp figured he'd catch Spinks with a big shot and the follow ups would finish him. I know that's what I thought. Spinks was not going to escape this guy if he got hurt like he had in that second Holmes fight. He'd stay hurt. Or if he had a bad cut like in that Cooney fight, Mike was going to finish the guy & there would be no slipping thru the cracks.

At that stage of the game, those Spinks knees were not going to provide the mobility necessary against the youth of Tyson. And Spinks had always been the other guy in his matches--he was the young guy fighting old reflexes. He was finally going to be on the other end of that. Very important. But I thought Spinks was made to order pretty much like Marvis Frazier was. Mike will slaughter guys like that early maybe 14 out of 15 times.

 

That wasnt a knockdown, it was a trip.

 

Exactly, Qawi was stepping on Spinks foot when his insigificant punch landed as Spinks tried to drag away. It was Called a KD, but would be even less of one than Roldan vs Hagler.

 

1988 was definitely the time when Tyson was at his best.

 

Rooney was already losing control of him ... Rooney was the final link to Cus/Jacobs/Clayton, basically what both King and Givens Team were referring to Mike as his slave owners ... look at the indifference that Mike hugs Kevin after the victory ... in the past they were united ... this time it looked like a last hurrah ... it was already in meltdown ...

 

The riff between Tyson and Rooney started when Rooney sided with Cayton during the whole management problem after the Spinks fight. Rooney was in fact correct, and it showed what kind of no bull**** guy he was that he sided with Cayton instead of Tyson and wound up blowing his relationship with Tyson that was worth millions.
I know Kevin Rooney, he tells it like it is, hes not a yes man, and he had control of Tyson during camp and had him prepared for his fights. Rooney and Tyson came from the same coach, they were both pros and fought on the same fight cards. Tyson respected Rooney. When that relationship ended, Tyson's decline happened very quickly.

 

Off topic but, RIP Butch Lewis

[ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iPLrXMVjr5w&feature=related[/ame]

 

Simply incorrect. The damage had already started. Givens and Roper were already deep in Tyson's head and he was not listening the same to Rooney nor was he nearly as close with him .. That fight was the trigger as all the media attention leading up to it raised the states and all the players were jockeying for position and Rooney was already on the way out. The incident you were referring to was a public outburst but behijd the scenes Kenvin was already reduced which lead to the frustration ...

 

Bull****. The riff with Rooney didnt start until after the fight. Yes Tyson had turmoil in his life, but not with Rooney. Look at the tape that you referred to before. Look at how Tyson reacts to Rooney after the fight when hes being interviewed by Merchant. He pulls Rooney close to him and puts his arm around him. Tyson didnt have a problem with Rooney at all until after the fight when all the argueing started and Rooney sided with Cayton.

 

The mere fact that you talk with such conviction over a point you cannot validate is really telling. I won't continue to debate you on this except to say you are wrong and I know first hand from people that were there at the time. Process that as you see fit.