Im probably just gonna go through a list of a ton of heavyweights and gauge this forums opinions, hopefully some good discussions will be had.
Tyson is looked upon today as a bully who folded when you stood up to him...if Tyson doesn't get you by the 6th round...he becomes a totally different fighter. As historian Bill Caplan said "Tyson never walked thru the fire to win...he never came from behind to win...and he never got up from the deck to win!" That about sums it up!...
I haven't done this in a while, but I can find room for him in the top ten. I also use cultural impact as criterion. Boxers are athletes are entertainers and with that comes putting asses in the seats.
At his very best, H2H, I'd only give a better than 50% chance to pre-exile Ali, maybe a 40% chance to Steward-trained Lewis. Wouldn't place a dollar on anyone else.
Tyson's "legacy" has been affected by fights he had post-prison when he admitted he had no interest in boxing and did not want to box. He wasn't diminished physically, but mentally he did not want to box and his lifestyle, training, and performance reflected that. At his best, he was as good as it gets and capable of beating anybody. I value the opinion of "Boxing Historians" (Sugar, Callis, Caplan, etc.) as much as I value the opinion of Lampley, Pacheco, Cosell, etc., which means, NOT AT ALL.
Ali and Louis simply have to be higher, as a matter of principle. Or anyone else, I don't know. I have it top 3-5. I think I can give Foreman higher, maybe Holmes, and I have no problem if someone gives Liston higher.
As a boxer he was very, very, verry... good when he was on. He had vulnerabilities like all fighters. As a cultural phenomenon he's up there with Dempsey and Ali.
I think I never got out of the transitory phase between being a casual and being a hardcore where you go from thinking Mike was the greatest to have ever laced up to thinking he's the worst, so I still struggle to accurately evaluate Tyson's standing among the HWs and still fail to see what was so impressive about what he did in the '80s, which was, imo, one of the worst divisions the HWs have ever had which was populated by badly faded "names" and a few LHWs here and there. I dunno, Im open to seeing how he could possibly scratch by into a top 10 but I see him as being a considerable distance away from a spot on mine.
Because people think he could do what he did to Berbick and Spinks to any fighter that ever lived. That being said I can still find room for him in my top ten
