Mike Tyson had a better career than Larry Holmes.

From the age of the 37 onwards his opponents were maidana 2x, Pacquiao, Berto, and McGregor.

Maidana was not on the p4p list. Mayweather was a 12-1 betting favorite against Maidana.

Manny was on the p4p list I think, but he was also 36 years old and wasn't half the fighter he used to be. Manny beating Rios, Algieri, and Bradley is not enough to convince me this was top form Manny, plus there was controversy about his shoulder.

-berto was garbage at this point, McGregor had literally zero pro fights.

-holmes came back after losing to spinks and fought prime versions of Tyson, Holyfield, Mercer, McCall, etc. There is no comparison.

-holmes fought 8 undefeated younger fighters when he was past the age of 30 and beat all of them except spinks. Mayweather had like 4-5 undefeated younger fighters in his division and fought NONE of them despite two of them being his mandatories! Yet Holmes is being made out to be this cherry picker who avoids tough fights!

Explain!

 

He didn't put Williams away. Williams got up and the ref put him away. I don't have an agenda against Tyson. I know that even if the ref had waved Williams back in as he should have that Williams still would have lost and by knockout.

 

It's not irrelevant. The ref should not be bias. He should wave a fighter in every time it is ok. Here it was ok.

 

You failed to respond to several of mine.

 

Ive already explained to you ad nauseum that Mayweather was still kicking world beaters asses at an OLDER age than Holmes was when he was fighting prospects and fringe contenders and struggling with them.... Yeah pac was old when Floyd fought him but YOUNGER than Floyd and STILL one of the best fighters in the world and continued to be for years !!!! Maidana had just beaten the highly ranked Adrain broner. He gave Floyd a tough fight and then guess what ? Unlike Holmes, Floyd actually gave him this thing called a REMATCH !!! Berto was nothing special but at least a former world champion and a man who had been around the rankings for a while. Now compare that to 14 fight David Bey.... and using the Conner McGregor fight is weak as shlt. Floyd came out of retirement for a novelty pay day knowing full well the MMA crowd was going to pay boku bucks to see it. It wasn’t like he was trying to hang on to a title as Holmes was by selectively picking cream puffs. I shouldn’t have to explain any of this.

NOTE: I actually defended Holmes as being deservedly higher ranked all time than Mike Tyson. But these embarrassing arguments to apologize for his cherry picking while bringing up Mayweather comparisons is sad at best and pathetic at worst.

 

Well, that might be so. I'd have to go back and watch it again to verify. But idk, I'll call it quits on this discussion. But I would love to help you on your quest.

 

Well reasoned and objective, even understated.

 

I did.

 

In the next week or so i will try to find the mags that had the relevant points Goo to put an exclamation point on this. Lots to go thru but i should be able to come across them.

 

This debate is a bit of a Groundhog day.

 

I think we can entertain two concepts at the same time:

1. Holmes actively and openly avoided certain fighters and pursued what he thought were easier challenges 1983-1985.
2. In the end some of the guys he fought turned out to be about on par with the guys he avoided.

What one makes of this concerning his ranking is up to individual criteria, but as facts they are quite clear.

 

x25 or so

 

Well said. I would add Thomas on his good run and a Witherspoon rematch would have been infinitely tougher gigs than those he chased. you did say "some" tho.