How Much did Mike Tyson ruin Razor Ruddock?

Ruddock took some hits from Tyson, but he wasn't ruined. Lewis took him out of the fight with one right hand. Maybe Ruddock wasn't warmed up well or under-estimated Lewis, but it happened anyway.

 

Truth is, Ruddock was never as good as he was hyped-up to be to start with.

He was a good, powerful heavyweight, and he had heart. Getting off the deck to stop Smith and the frightening KO of Dokes were good entertaining heavyweight performances. Ruddock earned the right to be marketed as the "new threat", he was 27 years old, big puncher, nice nickname.

But the hype got out of hand. Tyson was sloppy against Ruddock, should have finished him off early-ish in both fights. Ruddock had a ton of heart though, that's how he did well against Tyson.

But how on earth Ruddock lost twice to Tyson and then had many observers enhancing his reputation FROM those losses, I just cant answer.
I guess for those who were still rating Tyson as "invincible" just 12-18 months after he got the **** pounded out of him by Douglas, any bull**** is possible.

Still, I expected Ruddock to beat Lewis, who I just doubted was ready at the time, and I think we all under-estimated Lewis's power up until then.

I have no reason to believe Tyson "ruined" Ruddock at all. As said, many people boosted Ruddock because of those fights, I'm sure his confidence was high. Many people were saying Ruddock would crush all heavyweights now that Tyson was in jail.

The crushing defeat to Lewis probably "ruined" Ruddock, burst his bubble, destroyed his reputation. Ruddock dropped off the radar after that one.

 

Ruddock was one of Tyson best 2 or 3 wins. But Tyson did not " ruin " Ruddock at all. If Tyson ruined Ruddock, their second fight would not have gone the distance.

Ruddock lost a very exciting fight to Morrison, but after that one, he kept on winning until he retired.

If you want the truth, what ruined Ruddock the most was age and an embarrassing botched operation that sidelined him in 2000.

 

Lewis should get just as much credit as Tyson did. Many expected Ruddock to win. I also thought Ruddock would win due to his overall better quality of opposition. Never in a million years did I expect Lewis to completely destroy Ruddock like he did. One of Lewis' finest performances.

 

Co-signed. Great post.

 

Ruddock just wasn't as good as advertised. People seem to forget the fact that he was a one-armed fighter and strictly a head-hunter. Yeah, he was big and strong, but he was also very one-dimensional. If he had a more varied attack, he would have been a much better fighter.

 

Ruddock wasn't overrated at all. Being blitzed by Lennox Lewis isn't anything to be ashamed of, especially when you're decked when you're on the mat.

Same thing happened to a prime Golota who may of been the best heavyweight in the world, immediately after Bowe II.

Anyway, Ruddock's potential was always going to have a cap because of his asthma. It's pretty impressive what he accomplished in spite of a debilitating case of it, and in my opinion it's why he became such a head hunter later on his career.

He was a very, very good boxer early on.

 

I saw him outbox Mike Weaver early in his career when he was actually impressive. He had surgery on his right arm that essentially made it not good for much. This is why he was so one dimensional later on in his career.

 

I think he was.

Losing twice to Tyson like that never impressed on me that he was the 2nd best heavyweight in the world (behind Tyson, who almost as unjustly was ranked by many above the unbeaten champion Holyfield).

Ruddock got knocked over and mauled quite a bit by a sloppy not-quite-vintage version of Tyson. He proved he had heart and could hurt or KO good men with single shots, but he got whipped quite clearly by Tyson. I'm still not sure why that put him above Holyfield in some people's reckoning.

I think that was overrating.

I thought he'd beat Lewis because I totally underrated Lewis, and probably overrated Ruddock a bit myself back then.

 

Tyson's resume is incredible I love watching Berbick up until ruddock 2, its like going to the theatres and witnessing greatness.

 

not ruined at all.
first fight was stopped when ruddock was not even hurt.
2nd one went the distance.

 

Tyson looked his best when he took out Thomas imo ,his combos, foot positioning ,and hand speed were top class.