Michael Spinks on Mike Tyson loss

I don't think Spinks would ever have beaten a prime Tyson, no matter what and for that matter, I don't think any light heavyweight we've seen so far could move up and beat prime Mike Tyson. Perhaps there will be one in the future who may have plausibly been able to move up and defeat a 1988 Tyson but none so far. So it's no shame in losing to Tyson, if Spinks was a few years younger, the result is still the same, Spinks may just last a few more rounds

 

Credit to Spinks for being so honest. He always came across as a quality person.

 

A very honest interview and classy one as well. I don’t think Spinks would have ever beaten Tyson under any circumstances as it was just bad stylistic chemistry. But I’ve always felt that he wasn’t ideally in physical or psychological condition for that match. His age and in activity wasn’t any help either . But much love and respect for the Jinx. He’s a true all time great and gave us some terrific fights and memories. I hope he’s well today and lives a long happy life..

 

I don't think he was old per se, he was 31. His knees were shot from running in steel toe boots on concrete. Anyone of any age will injure themselves like that as concrete has no give but your knees do. Usyk is almost 10 years older today than Spinks was at that time.

 

True and I agree. 31 isn’t old per se but he wasn’t prime either. The knee issues, being a former light heavyweight, the inactivity and being a few weeks shy of 32 all compounded it. I also think that he was at a junction in his life where he felt he was done with boxing. He could have hung around after the Tyson fight and cherry picked pay days but he didn’t seem to want to. He could have tried to arrange a fight with George Foreman who was about a dozen fights into his comeback at the time. Or fought Damiani for the WBO or even campaigned for a third fight with Holmes but he was done.

 

If Spinks knees weren't shot and he had the desire, how could he have done at heavyweight outside of Tyson? Obviously he isn't ruling the division, but could he be a Moorer type figure?

 

Someone should have told Mr. Spinks that Mr. Tyson's power was way overrated.

 

The guy who was supposed to tell him wasn’t a boxing guy and didn’t know one fighter from another.

Someone said, ‘Go tell Michael Spinks over there that Mike Tyson’s punching power is overrated.’

The guy replied, ‘Which one is Spinks?’

He was told, ‘Right over there, the heavyweight champ.’

Problem was, Michael was standing near Buster Douglas and the guy thought Buster was Michael, so he told Douglas instead.

Thus was history changed.

 

Take particular note Spinks mentioned nothing about knee's. The knee story has grown in stature in here over the years, particularly when taking credit away from the Tyson win. Nothing was said prior, nothing was said later, and Spinks himself never mentions it.

 

I think he does well but he wouldn’t be in for a long reign .

 

Plenty of people noted going into the fight that he had lost mobility and that his knees were shot.

Michael Spinks is a stand-up guy and even years later he’s taking full accountability for his loss. Just because he’s not making excuses doesn’t mean his knees weren’t shot, lol.

Now let’s compare that to Tyson — long count, had sex in Tokyo, ooh got a boo-boo when there was a head butt, it’s spinal, he’s old, not motivated, losses don’t count.

 

What a mensch. As I've argued back and forth about fear and the Tyson fight, I will reassert I NEVER believed that Spinks went in "fighting scared" or that it explained getting blown out and reflected on his character or greatness in any way. I don't remember if I saw a direct quote about having fear beforehand but I think I said it would matter to the outcome no more than Foreman saying his knees were shaking before Frazier's presence. As he also said, it wasn't going to be in his nature ordinarily to start fast with a typical opponent, let alone Mike Tyson. He didn't doubt that he could perform, which is key context to that statement, he just rationally knew he was going to have a real SOB of a job in front of him and got caught cold. He does not admit that he fought scared, which was one of few things I've genuinely argued about on here that has always really, really grated on my nerves.

When this discussion was last here, I said I didn't think there was enough of a fight to even make that determination that is like canon to most of the forum, that he performed by failing from panic, giving into this supposed aura of fear that Tyson's opponents get routinely, and I've argued stupidly, get accused of giving into, as though it isn't Tyson's attributes and performances getting the credit but the very character of some clearly tough guys being faulted for having feelings that somehow nobody else could give them with their magic aura or whatever the hell. I don't feel these comments go against that sentiment. And I think when looking at his career overall, it's criminally unjustified to make that assumption based on under three minutes against prime Tyson under his circumstances and with his resume, that he just bottled it. He was an outstanding ATG fighter, and a brave man, even among fighters. To hell with anyone that makes that determination based on the entirety of his offering to this sport. I mean, not literally, as I like a lot of you, but you can figuratively go straight to hell and have Satan figuratively stick a pitchfork right up your-listen, I'm getting off track. Good post. Changes nothing for me. Just reminds me that Michael is a humble, straight shooter. And I may've completely misremember previous thoughts and arguments, but that's how I remember them anyway. #2old2care