Mike Tyson all time heavyweight ranking?

Tyson destroyed his reputation with the second part of his career, which is the most remembered. Almost everyone judges him based on that. But the truth is that if you run up Mount Everest, you will always have that achievement. If you break a record at an Olympics, you will always have it, even if you do not qualify for the national team at the next Olympics. If you are the MVP of a season, you may be worthless the next year. That is exactly what happened with Tyson. I think that after 1988 he could have lost 10 fights in a row to Mickey Mouse. But who had such a winning streak as Tyson between 1986 and 1989? honestly even taking into account his defeat by Douglas his career still stands with a record of 41-1, outclassing Holmes, outclassing 3 Olympic champions, 10 title victories, dominating such fighters as Spinks, Berbick, Tubbs, Biggs, Tubbs etc. is something that has not really happened. Only Joe Louis' run I can rate as high but certainly not higher.

To sum up - Tyson can be rated almost anywhere in the ranking and it will not be a mistake but throwing him outside the top 10 is a simple aberration.

For me - number 3

 

Not top 5 but no problem putting him around 7 -8 .

 

Lemme try a top 10…??? All housed within a tier are about equal. @janitor did I do okay?

Tier1
Joe Louis
Muhammad Ali

Tier2
Larry Holmes
Wladmir Klitschko

Tier 3
Lennox Lewis
Evander Holyfield
Mike Tyson

Tier 4
Oleksander Usyk
Joe Frazier
James Toney

 

Not a bad list if you’re a firm believer in modern heavies over the older generations. Only head scratcher really is Toney? He doesn’t belong at HW anywhere near the top.

 

It’s just a joke TLC the rest of the list is just a “hunch” I think my list is very balanced between “greatness” and H2H old and new my number 1 guy is Joe Louis 1930s - 1940s or whatever… I forget when the king showed up, Ali is from the 60s - Wlad was a long, long standing champion with lots of defences as was Holmes… Lennox, Holyfield, Tyson are all a mixed big I just threw there - Usyk is pending but 100% IMO belongs. Frazier should probably be higher TBH.

 

I have him at 8

 

Top 10, I have him number 10, but I can see the argument for anywhere between 7-10.

 

This. It's very tight there, pretty much interchangeable.

 

10 years ago his career was remembered quite well from the first stage, today the 90s and 00s are remembered more. That's why there is such a difference. I don't know of a situation where the assessment after many years would be more reliable.. the best is right after the end of a career or at most a few years after it. Later many things escape us. There are also personal sympathies, the issue of appropriate presentation of trends, views, personality and presence in the media

 

Right there with you regarding a more balanced view of Tyson as time passes. I also have him as fringe top-10-but he had top-5 potential. (Tyson was something to see when he was coming up--had as much pure talent as any HW to ever step in the ring!)

 

So maybe we should take a look at how Mike was perceived in the 80's, since it was the closest time to his peak. Nobody was saying he was the second best heavyweight of all time Even after the Spinks fight, people were saying he has lot more to prove and can't be mentioned in one sentence even with guys like Dempsey and Johnson. Historical perspective gives us time to put everything in broader context. That's why Mike is rated higher than he was even at his peak, Ali is considered the GOAT while he wasn't called that in the 70's and fighters like Lennox and Wlad are getting their just due.

 

Hi Buddy.
Think you might have your history slightly skewed when you say Ali was not considered the GOAT in the 70s, I can assure he most certainly was, by then he had eclipsed the likes of Johnson, Dempsey, Marciano, maybe not Louis the jury is still out on this, in fact his 60s run, and in particular the years 66/67 had already secured him a place at the table, the rebirth in 70, and the subsequent fights and victory's that ensured after, only cemented his position at the top, luckily you are too young to know this.
stay safe MM, chat soon buddy.
Mike.

 

The Ring Magazine had Ali as number 7 HW of all time in 1975 right before Manilla I think. Anyhow, he was still viewed in his time as a better fighter than Tyson was in his time. So this "we should look at they were perceived earlier" thinking is not quite on Mike's side.