Mike Tyson - Heavyweight King of the 1980s

You are on a roll Rummy I'll watch this later thanks

 

Great...GREAT work Rummy!

 

Do people think Tyson is actually more popular now than when he was fighting? Back then while everyone was fans of his fights, probably a lot of people were wanting him to lose or wanted someone to stand up and do well against him as much as the numbers who wanted him to win. Now though the young generation seem drawn to him with all the availability of his fights on YouTube and the like and with so many stories about his life and boxing career while those who lived through it all now look back on it all with nostalgia and wish it was all happening again today.

 

Tyson was extrememly popular in his day. Anyone who fights like he did, aggressive, confident and effective is going to draw fans. Plus he was following a longtime champion that was (unfairly) maligned as boring both inside and outside the ring in Holmes. Plus the culture of "hating" was not nearly at the levels it is today in society. Sure he had some detractors but overall he was a very popular champion of his day. More so than Holmes and even Ali who was very polarizing in his actual time. Tyson was Dempsey in many ways not just in terms of style in the ring.

 

Awesome job Rummy. Beethoven perfect perhaps Ali gets the Mozart treatment lol. Good work

 

Mike Tyson was very good for boxing in my opinion. Back in his heyday, pre 2/10/90, I used to gather with a bunch of people that I used to work with on his fight nights to view via pay per view. These were electric evenings...all of us were in awe of Tyson...and somewhat fearful for his opponents. These nights were almost morbid in a way, like we were gonna be watching a ritual sacrifice or something. Never did we expect Iron Mike to lose...

 

I have the issue of KO where he wears that gaudy King get up.

 

It was always an "event" when Tyson fought from Berbick on. Regular sports fans who weren't normally in to boxing tuned in. But, at the same time most of his '80s (and against Buster in early '90) championship fights were on regular HBO, not PPV. HBO had a Heayweight tournament in an effort to unify the title. Mike Tyson was the centerpiece of this tournament. HBO must have paid Don King BIG BUCKS for the rights to this tournament.

HBO didn't have an HBO PPV boxing arm (Thankfully) at the time, I don't think

Here's where I was whenever Tyson fought a championship fight in those days:

Mike Tyson KO 2 Trevor Berbick: I saw this at my parents' house live on HBO. I was in 12th grade.

Mike Tyson W12 Bonecrusher Smith: I missed it live. I was on a date and concerned with more personal "action." I watched the replay on HBO. I think it had been televised live on HBO.

Mike Tyson KO 6 Pinklon Thomas: I missed this fight live. I was cruising around with a buddy. I did flip the channell on the tv at some girl's house while my buddy was in another room trying to "score" and was able to see Tony Tucker stop Buster Douglas on the undercard. But, we left before the Tyson/Thomas fight. The card was on HBO. I saw it later on tape on HBO.

Mike Tyson W12 Tony Tucker: I saw this live on HBO at one of my friend's parents' house.

At this point Tyson was the Undisputed HW Champion, so the HBO tournament was over. I believe most of his subsequent defenses were on regular HBO, though.

Mike Tyson KO 7 Tyrell Biggs: I was a freshman in college and we didn't have a TV. I missed it live but saw it on HBO on tape.

Mike Tyson KO 4 Larry Holmes: I saw this live on TV. A pack of about 50 people crammed into the recreation area of our dorm. I think it was on HBO.

Mike Tyson KO 2 Tony Tubbs: I saw this one live from the same Dorm Recreation area TV as Tyson/Holmes. It was on HBO. There were about 50 people crammed in there just like for Tyson/Holmes.

Mike Tyson KO 1 Michael Spinks: This one was certainly on PPV/Closed Circuit. I saw it live at Charlestown Raceway, in Charlestown, West Virginia on a huge movie screen.

Mike Tyson KO 5 Frank Bruno. I saw this one live on HBO at somebody's off-campus apartment at college (James Madison University).

Mike Tyson KO 1 Carl Williams: I missed this one live but saw it on tape on HBO. I can't remember what I was doing instead.

Buster Douglas KO 10 Mike Tyson. I missed it live. I was at a Fraternity Semi-Formal. I saw it on tape on I guess HBO.

This was before the era where every decent fight was on PPV. LOL.

 

Tyson was a worldwide star already in the mid 80s, and he still is.

 

Yes, I don't remember anyone really "hating" him at the time.

A lot of us could see there were looming problems that would eventually derail him.

I think many more people hated Robin Givens and Don King than hated Mike Tyson. LOL.

 

Tyson was the last "golden" heavyweight champion IMO.

 

What a boxer this guy in his young days

 

100 percent correct Tyson was well liked it was his circle that took the blame