Do you consider Tyson to be a H2H top 5 heavyweight?

Holyfield is picked stylistically because he was ultra tough, strong and a great spoiler. I dont think anybody trades successfully with a prime Tyson.(that cuts out all the punchers). He has everything oing for him against swarmers. And against boxers, he is fast enough of hand and foot to get right up in their face sharpish.

Lewis, Ali and Holyfield were all very strong spoilers. And that is the style i think it takes to beat Tyson.

 

I pick louis, johnson and liston to beat tyson.

 

I have Ali, Tyson, Holmes, Liston and Louis in that order.

Ali is the toughest test for Tyson with Bowe and Liston giving a good account of themselves. Holyfield struggles with a lot of the other ATGs.

 

Kevin Johnson? Harold Johnson? Lyndon Baines Johnson?

Because no one with that low hand, fist-twirlin' Popeye, off my back foot, one punch at a time style is taking Mike Tyson. And Lil Arthur may have had an easy time clinching Tommy Burns but he's no Bonecrusher Smith in the size or strength department, and even Bonecrusher was whitewashed in his fight with Tyson.

How many rounds would Hart or Burns or Philly Jack have lasted with a 1988 Mike Tyson?

 

My answer would be yes. H2H Tyson would be inside the top 5 or just out of it. But I would like to add that no fighter would be safe from a prime 'Iron' Mike Tyson.

 

Unquestionably. He ranks #2 on my H2H list (If I ever really compiled him). That's not to say many fighters couldn't beat him. Just in a statistical sense he has a chance against every HW.

 

I think prime Lewis handles prime Tyson with ease. Tyson wouldn't be able to get inside often enough and Lewis would pick him off with the jab and his right hand.
People forget Lewis may have had 2 ko's on his record but both time she was up on the 10 count and he wasn't at his best.

Prime Lewis would torture Tyson.

Id pick Ali, Holyfield, Lewis, Prime Liston over Tyson everyday

Prime Norton would be a styleistic nightmare for Tyson

Im only going back over the last 50 years with this thread. Don't know enough about Jack Johnson to compare the 2.

 

First time I've ever seen this. EVER. I disagree, respectfully.

 

My head to head Heavyweight top 10
1. Bowe
2. Lewis
3. W. Klitchko
4. Louis
5. Tyson
6. Ali
7. Holmes
8. V. Klitchko
9. Bear
10. Foreman

 

Awful list.

 

Bowe is an interesting, though I believe misguided, pick. When exactly did this world beater exist? Was it when losing to Holy? When he looked ordinary in trying to dispatch Coetzer, ultimately lowblowing the powderpuff cruiser into submission? Or during that succession of stiffs he called title defenses? Even in his best victory, against Holy, he displayed porous defense and a willingness to brawl that was entertaining but unnecessary. I just don't see it. And unfortunately, none of us got to see too much of Bowe against top-flight opposition due to his short shelf life.

 

I get the idea that it would be "Ali and Lewis", if Holyfield hadn't actualy fought him.

I don't think that Holyfield had anything so unique, that other ATGs could not theoreticaly have done the same. Ali and Lewis perhaps, but not Holyfield.

In answer to the initial question.

Maybe.

 

McMoustache would thrash hiim.

 

it is hard to rate him. On his prime head to head he could beat most of the top greats of all time. yet his resume and wins do not rate him top 5, but rather top 10 which is great also. Head to head he could beat anyone, except maybe a guy like Foreman who had the wrong style for him. yet I think Mike was much greater than George. George was ok in his first career, but then his second was 3 shots at the title, and the last one he beat a guy who had a weak chin who was a former 175 pounder.

 

You stole my post.