Mike Tyson versus Michael Spinks

I think he froze when faced with Tyson's aggressiveness. Could have been fear

 

Tried his heart out? What in that fight would you point to to indicate Spinks gave it his all?

I don’t think he gave one percent of what he could have. It was a gutless display for mine but if you think he acquitted himself, I’ll certainly listen.

 

He never stood a chance. A blown up light heavy who had a dodgy knee, taking on one of the most vicious of heavy s ever.

 

He may not have been scared but I saw it in real time on a very large closed circuit screen and he absolutely had a “what the F am I doing here look” and I could sense immediately that this fight was going to be lucky to go past three minutes.

 

He threw I think 11 right leads in a span of 91 seconds — 18 of those seconds being counts (taking a knee for an eight-count and then the countout). He came in with a plan (I never heard Eddie Futch or Spinks explain why they thought the right lead was so key, but you don’t throw that many in that short a span by accident — perhaps they thought Tyson would be keyed on the jab and they could surprise him or maybe just try to land one stiff right to get his respect/attention and an aggressive Tyson would run into it and have to think twice) … but that plan didn’t work.

I think he was overwhelmed. Tyson’s power probably wasn’t a surprise but his speed probably was … you can’t really prepare for that kind of lightning-strike explosiveness.

Did he try? You don’t throw 11 right leads without trying. Was he over his head? Absolutely.

 

He took the for one last huge cash out check. That’s it.

 

I think there is a lot of truth to this. I don't think he really wanted to fight anymore but couldn't turn down a huge payday. I think at some level his right-hand leads were desperation Hail Marys. He probably had the worst possible mind set to face prime Tyson and got out at his first chance.

 

If the money wasn’t so enticing I’m pretty sure he would have retired. He wasn’t interested in chasing titles anymore

 

In the sense he could have arisen before the count, yes. I don’t see hurt in his eyes as the ref is counting, I see fear - which I admit, is subjectively interpretive & I leave room for being wrong. But the way he fell into the ropes, as I said earlier, didn’t do much to change my opinion about the look on his face during the count.

 

Fighting (really committing to the fight against your opponent) is more important than winning. Even if you have no chance or thereabouts, you must acquit yourself as brave. I’d rather live with a beating than with running any day personally. Of course, it’s easy said when you only know victory (as Spinks did) & genuinely fear for your safety (as Spinks did).

Nevertheless that is the gut check - & Spinks for mine failed it. If I interpret it correctly & he bailed, I don’t envy having to live with that.

 

Whether it compromised his performance or not, I think it’s been reasonably confirmed by Spinks himself that he was extremely fearful at the prospect of facing Tyson.

There’s healthy fear and then there’s unhealthy fear, the latter being when your movements and executions actually become stilted due to fear - even if the stiltedness comes by way of just a few degrees - it can make all the difference.

Fear can also disrupt previously upheld resilience also, - too rigid, too stiff - punches aren’t taken so well. I agree that “too much”’fear can cause a fighter to be more aggressive than is wise.

Watching Patterson vs Liston, what can we say exactly was proof of Patterson being compromised by his own admitted fears?

Perhaps similar to some theories re Spinks - fear might not always see you running away - it might in fact see you blindly running too hard into the storm.