Mike Tyson

Whats prime have to do wioth it? Can u imagine Ali in his 1st fight with Frazier doing anything remotely similar? You sure dont hear Tysons fans talk much about intestinal fortitude, do ya? Holyfield k.o,s Tyson in 85,86,87,88,89,90,91,92,93,94,95,96,97.98,99....

 

Tyson went the distance with Holyfield in their first fight huh?

 

Going the distance = lasting until the final bell. Tyson did not in any of his losses.

 

What will the Tyson nuthuggers come up with next !?

 

Doesn't really matter. If you are claiming the guy is the greatest or 1 of the greatest, diminished skills should still translate to a victory over Evander. Holyfield was beat and extended by other heavies afterall. And me, I don't think Evander ever looked as formidable at heavy as he did at cruiser anyway.

So why can't a somewhat diminished Tyson be held to a standard to beat a former cruiser? Is that really all that high of a bar being set here? And the Holyfield dossier is hardly filled with ko's either and there are lots of decisions. How to thoroughly explain and justify the koby results?

 

Obviously Holyfield was a much better heavyweight than Michael Spinks.

Tyson wasn't at his best in 1996 for Holyfield (neither was Holyfield at his best, IMO) but look at all the guys who weren't at their best for Tyson !

Tyson beat a lot of guys who were on the downgrade, drug problems, inactivity, life problems, wife problems, one foot in retirement, etc.
Tubbs, Spinks, Holmes, Thomas - they'd all seen better days. Biggs, another coke head.

The alibis that are "valid" for Tyson should also be valid for his opponents.

 

Yet Holyfield's best win is considered Mike Tyson. The same could be said for Holyfield. What are his greatest wins? Bowe, overweight not at his best, yet a razor close win, Tyson who is considered Holyfield's best win was far past his best IMO. Moorer was a slob, Foreman eh, Holmes?

 

Yes.

And I'd rate an overweight 1993 Bowe, and a post-prison 1996 Tyson as better than whoever prime Tyson beat. Wouldn't you ?

 

see Jimjom's post. Im confident the 96 version of Tyson would have lost to a few guys he beat easily in his prime.

 

Tyson NEVER got off the floor and came back to win a fight...as all of the greats have done

 

Really? Did Lennox Lewis?

 

Against the great Henry Akinwande.

 

Sorry but Mike was in his prime against Douglas, perhaps this was not the best he was but he was still in his prime. At this time very, very few thought different, everything else is hindsight.