this coming Saturday (ironically the 22nd November) since: This content is protected This content is protected What a superb performance from it was from Tyson. Berbick was a good fighter and very durable too, may have been over the hill, but he was still game and expected to perhaps give the young challenger some problems; but he was destroyed. Some things spring to mind when I watch this fight: the superb early career headmovement and footwork of Tyson, his ability to switch hit, immense two fisted power and his patience in this fight; he's really picking his shots economically here and waited for significant openings, once he had Berbick going he desposed of him ruthlessly, yet barely wasted a punch in doing so, a performance reminicent of Louis-Schmeling II albeit a round later. Two moments up there with the most iconic in heavyweight history: Berbick attempting, but failing to rise (twice) from that monster temple-shot and Barry Tompkins words "We have a new era in boxing!" From then (and earlier in '86) up until the first Bruno fight he looked mostly awesome. For that first title reign alone he's in my top 10 heavyweights of all-time time overall (#8 or so). Not unbeatable, but still a force of nature back then.
Were Tucker, Smith or Biggs any better in comparison? Definitely not. Berbick was a pretty good fighter for at least a period of the 80's.
Great showing by Tyson of couse. I dont think highly of Berbick though. Here was a guy that had trouble with a VERY over the hill Ali, and made it a pretty close fight. Were say Holmes just shut Ali out pretty easy.
that in my opinion was the start of Tysons peak his head movement was superb and his punches were fast sharp and hard
I think Ali was in worse condition for Holmes, though, on acccount of the meds he was taking, which completely drained him.
When Tyson lost his head movement, and speed he became a more predictable and actually beatable fighter. Tyson of 86-87 was simply a freight train.
Even back then his head movement slowed down a lot after a couple of rounds. He didn't seem impossible for Thomas to hit after riding out the initial storm. Tucker landed some really nice punches in the first 3 rounds. Tyson had good defense, but he wasn't as impossible to hit as some like to make out.
how can you say tyson was overrated ok he scared fighters before he got into the ring and made them not fight proper ala spinks but he was still a great fighter with brilliant movement and explosive power
but he lost after he was in prison if he fought any of the boys excluding lewis he lost to in his prime they all would have been KO'd execpt holyfiield who would have laste the distance
I don't think Tyson is overrated in general in this forum. He was in many ways brilliant. But every now and then you get these guys who claimsthat "prime" Tyson was almost impossible to hit (which Thomas and Tucker clearly showed he wasn't) and that he for some reason all of a sudden forgot all that he'd learned just because Rooney no longer was around. For me the Tyson that fought Douglas was basically the same fighter that beat Berbick and Spinks, just in somewhat poorer shape and less foucussed and motivated. But do you think Louis came out in the shape and mindset he had in the rematch with Schmeling in every fight, or Ali like he was for Liston? Frazier looked much worse against Foreman, for example. Tyson at least stayed around his best weight. What bugs me with Tyson fans is all the talk about him being nigh unbeatable until Rooney left, and then all of a sudden he's a completely different fighter. BS! But h2h I rate Tyson highly. Ali is the only one I favour quite clearly over him in this regard, perhaps the only one I favour over him, period.
