Frank Bruno vs Evander Holyfield

Nah, can't agree there.

 

Active against journeymen not gatekeepers. Tillis gave young Tyson life and death two fights after Coetzee beat him. That kind of opponent was availible leading up to Thomas and Tubbs's chalenges but instead they took lower risk fights because they could not afford to risk losing that chance. Bonecrusher, Thomas, Witherspoon were on the gatekeeper circuit by then yet they opted for fat middleweights and "wimpy halstead" types.

 

Tubbs' best attributes were his fast hands and boxing skill. Fast footwork and long range stamina were not among his strengths, and those are the two things that are most typically effected by excess weight.

 

Can you think of a slower or almost as slow start for Tyson then?

 

One fight does not compensate for as much inactivity as Coezee had, even if the guy comparing him to was facing lesser opposition. Furthermore, Tillis by that point in his career was not head over heels better than Halstead and the guys Tubbs faced in 1987. The difference was marginal at best.

This is pretty **** poor reasoning.. First of all Tillis lost the vast majority of the rounds in that fight and was actually more trouble for Coetzee than he was for Tyson.. And Mike was 19 years old with umpteen bouts under his belt.

or they were composing themselves after suffering a loss, and did it steadily and consistently rather than doing nothing for two years as Coetzee did. Also some of the names you mentioned were either tied up in other fights during that time frame or had ALREADY met Thomas Tubbs in the past.

Still no comment on Coetzee's surgeries or acknowledgement that neither Thomas or Tubbs had them.

 

but his trainer left him in the lead up to the fight stating that Tony was not in shape. What ever a man's attributes he's pretty near doomed if his own trainer says he was in no shape to fight.

 

Thomas had injuries.
Have I mention that?

 

Coetzee was in no shape to fight either, but that's not stopping you from arguing hammer and tong over the issue.

 

Tucker, Mathis, and Biggs.

At any rate, Tubbs landed on Tyson and was slipping his attempts. I don't think it was just a case of Tyson holding back. Tubbs was on his way to winning the second round as well. I just don't see the case for him not trying.

 

Agree, it's obvious that Tubbs was not seriously prepared.

He couldn't even be bothered to get that 50 grand bonus. I bet he wished he had done when he got down to his last line of coke.

 

I acknowledge Coetzees surgeries. He had issues with his hand all through his career, but he was coming off a reasonable win. I recon they are equal factors or less significant to Holmes two year beer drinking and fishing retirement, Tubbs established lack of motivation and not facing recognisable names for two years, Thomas's drug and shoulder troubles and not facing recognisable men for two years etc etc in their lead up to Tyson fights.

 

Yet he still brought more to the table than Coetzee did against Bruno.

 

He brought more cocaine to the table?

 

That too.

 

Agreed.