Is Tyson really susceptible to the traditional boxer?

Douglas beat Tyson by classic boxing. But classic boxing is not backing up, it's about lateral movement and angles to best utilize your outside game. Holyfield did the opposite and denied him space. Both are of course preferrable to fighting him at his preferred range, but still hard as hell to pull off.

 

True, but classic boxing augmented by substantial height and reach advantages. Couldn't imagine a smaller boxer than Buster having his success vs Tyson.

 

Good stuff. Ali's model isn't "traditional boxing." Not by a stretch. It's just that he spawned so many imitators it seems that way at times, but Douglas boxed in the more classic style.

Of course later, Holyfield tried another tactic that also worked, albeit against an older model; he got inside the wider swings of Tyson and took away space, which seemed counterintuitive to the point of suicidal. Worked, though. Good on Holyfield.

 

I think Holyfield at his best would beat Tyson, probably by both boxing and brawling, but not as comfortably as Buster did.

 

As for Ali-Tyson... I'm a big Ali fan, but in later years I've started to lean toward Tyson. The main reason is that just as Ali primed himself for countering a style that probably largely was inspired by Louis, Tyson was primed to counter a style largely inspired by Ali.

 

In the words of Billy Conn, if a fighter cant hit you, he cant hurt you, all you gotta do is get in there first, always work the jab, everything else comes off that.

 

I agree with that.

 

It was unbelievable. I wish I could still watch it with the wide-eyed awe of not knowing he won. We have seen him take Lewis' best shots and barely blink since that fight and we see him now as some granite block.

But back in Nov 96 he was meant to have no chance and what little chance he did have would soon disappear if he walked into the Tyson wheelhouse. So what does he do but charge straight at Tyson and stay there. One of the most impressive shows of utter cool I have ever seen. People can say what they like about Holyfield but no amount of hormones can make a man grow a pair that big.

 

ali was slightly smaller than douglas and he would outbox tyson

 

so basically you favour every new good boxer over the former one? it makes no sense, ali would be too tough mentally for tyson who was a physical phenomenon but a weak mind, the mind is very very important in boxing, this fight would go to the long distance for sure, if tyson could not stop tillis,tucker or smith early then he is not stopping ali.... and then tyson would get tired more and more and ali would dominate the fight, he finally would find his rhythm and would stop a gassed tyson by tko

 

Still with substantial height and reach advantages over Tyson.

 

Ali in his prime was phenomenal. I just don't like those low hands against someone like Tyson. But there are definitely reasons to favor Ali too.

 

Need other qualities as well, like chin, a hell of a lot of heart, speed, durability. Decent boxing skills alone wont do the job. I think a handful of greats had all those abilities to beat Tyson, the rest had a few qualities but not enough to overcome 80s Tyson. Douglas was the near perfect model but he was hurt, and Tyson wasn't fighting his best fight.

 

Holyfield was lucky to fight Tyson when he did. And so was Douglas. Both guys would always prove troublesome, however, with a Tyson fighting to his full capabilities i'd favor him over both guys on their best nights.