IF IRON MIKE WAS UP AND COMING NOW,WHAT WOULD YOUR THOUGHTS BE?

Yeah, I thought the hype train might hit a dead end there too. Despite Berbick being considered a weak title-holder, he'd been in with everyone and was a 33 year old man. Tyson was still so young and inexperienced, I expected it to be a tough night for the young man at least.
But we all know what happened.

 

Except Berbick was lighter than Tyson so wasn't big at all really, next to Joshua he would look like an Ethiopian.

 

I can't imagine Anthony Joshua, Joseph Parker, or Deontay Wilder winning. In fact I can't imagine them not being knocked out quickly. Guys like Tony Tucker had more skill than either. Tony Tucker also had a good chin in his prime. Something we know AJ doesn't have and most likely Deontay Wilder doesn't have either.

 

I would say Tyson probably kills them all. Not the 80s version but if we brought him to today.

 

Tyson would be massive in this day and age. I think he would beat these guys personally, his skills were a level above, Wilder makes too many mistakes against a quick counter puncher like Tyson, Joshua would probably get hurt and finished in the mid rounds. Wlad would be his major problem if we are talking a few years earlier.

People forget he had skills and was good at avoiding the big punches guys like Joshua would be trying to land. The violent tenacity Tyson fought with levels the playing field a bit in my eyes when people talk of his chances against the bigger guys. He might be smaller but Tyson wanted to kill people, it is possible for smaller fighters with this fighting ethic to overcome the size differential.

 

I think he would beat the likes of Parker, and Ortiz. I can't see him beating Povetkin, Joshua, Wlad and Fury though.

 

He's take the world by storm just like he did back in his own day. Only he'd look even better than he did against this inferior level of opposition.

Wilder would be snapped in half.

Joshua gets Bruno'd. . No guy who gasses early against guys like Whyte and Wlad has a hope against Tyson.

 

if Mike Tyson was around today and just starting his run, I would probably think that:

the heavyweight version of Michael Spinks (who presumably retired as an undefeated heavyweight champion after knocking out Cooney) completely outclasses him.
Old Larry Holmes would have come out of retirement and toyed with him.
A world champion Trevor Berbick would be too good for him.
Bigger 80s/90s heavyweights like Tucker, Bruno, Williams, Biggs, Bonecrusher Smith, Razor Ruddock would all completely dominate him and have no trouble dominating him on points. he is far too small to compete his only chance is the punchers chance in a fight he is being dominated in.
I dont know why though but i have a feeling he might pose a stylistical challenge even for a motivated James Buster Douglas.

 

Tyson would batter them all. Its different sports and different times altogether nowadays. Tyson could throw about 8 punches in so many seconds all of them hard. He was bred to fight from about 14 years old with an old man behind him that would actively encourage him to try and break peoples ribs in sparring punch peoples nose up into their brain. Tyson was an animal in every sense of the word in comparison to these guys.

Things have totally changed nowadays with the introduction of sport science etc. The skill levels went way down but the longetivity etc,s went way up. I dont think we,ll be seeing another tyson again or for a very long time anyway. They trained him so well even the height size difference meant little. Todays guys cant get past the size diffefence because their skilllevels so low in comparison. But anyone that could hit as hard as tyson...could throw in combinations was hard to hit and had speed would get past the disadvantages tyson had in terms of height etc. I dont think many eras would have stopped tyson getting to the top...defo not this one. Klitchkos would have gassed through nervous energy after about 2 rounds if tyson never got to them before that. Joshua would be hit by about three punches before he could get off. Wilder cant even fight anyone better than stiverne.

People might disagree and say i m vastly overrating tyson but we,re talking about a guy with a very special type of circumstances if you look through his life. Cus was a maniac but he was also a genius. He had the raw material with tyson but he knew exactly what he was doig to achieve his goal...had tyson training like an animal and often treated him like one to phsycologically. But it did breed success in the end tbf to him.

 

I agree with a lot of this.
Although in reply to the thread question I'd still be sceptical of Tyson's chances of huge success in this era if he was "around the Marvis Frazier stage" of his development. However good he looked, the opposition prior to Berbick, Smith, and Thomas (Nov '86 to May '87) was not enough evidence, especially with the likes of Tillis, Green and Ribalta exending him to, or until, 10 rounds.

I think you underrate Wladimir Klitsckhko's chances. Maybe not nowadays, but the Wlad of 5 years ago might have jabbed and grabbed and wrestled and worn a prime Tyson down, at least lastest the distance. Tyson didn't knock everyone out, and he never faced anyone as strong and shrewd at grab-boxing as Wlad has been post-Brewster.

 

Why is Klitschko getting cut up so much in his last fights? I don't remember him been much of a bleeder in the past. Does you skin get weaker as you get older?

 

Maybe he's gone all Hollywood and had some surgery or Botox and ruined his skin ....

..... OR perhaps he's just getting hit more now !

 

If you think Joshua Klitscko is a classic.

What would you make of...say Tyson Holmes?