You call the eighties a weaker division than todays... Todays division is **** poor.... Tony Tucker or Tim Witherspoon would have spoonfed Thompsons ass back to him ..... in a heartbeat... a heartbeat that the division lacks right now...
I actually think Tyson was great, for a very short period of time & in a very weak era. That's my opinion based on his biggest wins coming against guys like Trevor Berbick, Bonecrusher Smith, old Holmes, old & too small Spinks, never was Bruno, Ruddock, Carl the lie Williams, Tubbs, Biggs, Tucker, etc. Not exactly a who's who of boxing greats.
I disagree completely :-( Holmes' era & Tyson's era were at least as bad. Tex Cobb would not get a shot at the title today, he wouldn't make it that far. Does anybody remember Steve Zouski or Peter McNeely? What about Bonecrusher Smith? Boring, boring, boring.
Witherspoon and Tucker would both be top-10 or 5 today, and both would have a good shot at being belt-holders. Both would beat Ray Austin or Tony Thompson. Wlad would beat them, but they are every bit as good/bad as today's contenders.