Is Tyson deserving of being called a trully great fighter?

Tysons "Prime" Barely even lasted 3 years.....
Fat out of shape Botha was outpointing Tyson Imagine if Botha didn't show up to that fight like a beached Whale, he may have even beaten Tyson.

 

Sorry but you are wrong.

Buster Douglas was a step up from Spinks, Tucker, Berbick, Thomas etc etc?

A three year prime is possible with a guy as unstable as Mike. He was never going to remain great for long, but in that short space of time he was unquestionably great, and achieved records that may never be broken in a style that had never been seen before.

He was in his physical prime for many years after the Douglas fight, but his mind was not on the job, this is obvious and well documented.

You can train all you want but if you are not focussed and fighting for the right reasons you will lose at the top level, it's as simple as that.

 

He was barely outpointing a washed up Tyson in a fight lasting 5 rounds which ended with him getting knocked out?

Seriously, this is enough to get you excited?

 

32 years old he was SO washed up!

 

Six years, actually. 1986-91, that saw him clean out a great majority of the division. It was ended by his incarceration. His peak could be defined by '86-'88, yeah.

 

If you stop training properly and lose your marbles, you can be washed up at 18!

Age is not everything, but given the fact he turned pro at 18, he was no spring chicken at 32 anyway.

 

Well, he cleaned up perhaps the weakest heavyweight devision we have seen.
In my opinion Tyson was actually lucky, when he was in his "prime" he was denied the olympics and turned pro a few years before the fab four.

Lewis, Moorer, Holyfield and Bowe would all of them give Tyson huge problems even in his prime. He would probably beat Moorer, but I am almost 100% sure that Lewis and Holyfield would beat him. Lewis too strong, to technical too smart. Holyfield to tough and to resilient.

Bowe was an on off fighter, properly prepared I think he could potentially beat Tyson as well.

Regarding Holyfield vs Tyson. When they met, most experts acknowledge the fact that though Tyson did not have the same defence, his punches where still worldclass and mostly the same as his best. But Holyfield rebounded from every hit from Tyson virtually unmarked, and answered with blistering hits back, getting Tyson on the back foot to the end. Tyson could never fight like that, not even when he was at the top.

Tyson is definately a HOFer, but below Holyfield and Lewis. My personal view anyway.