Well, okay Tucker was a tough fight I forgot about, but I'm talking about fighters who nearly DESTROYED Tyson.
I agree he was a bad finisher that was often wild, but you showed the wrong video. The right overhand is the perfect punch to go over the jab, and I don't think it was a lucky punch from Shavers that time, he knew what he was doing.
Measurable criteria. I will say against myself though that I can't remember where I've seen it, otherwise I would show it right away.
Well, you have fair points, esp about Ellis, and Larry did stop to plant himself for a haymaker, but Shavers just needed one second, so it was still timed. You didn't have an excuse for the Lyle knockdown though?
Can't remember the Lyle one tbh so I'll take your word for it. But in any case a p*ssing context over who hit harder is really a red herring, because Shavers' vaunted power almost never translated into KOs of champions or top contenders, whereas Tyson's did. Most of the guys who rave about Earnie's power ended up beating him.
I agree. I don't think Tyson was as iron-chinned as people say, but there's nothing can be done about Shavers' poor chin. While I liked Shavers better, I would pick Tyson to beat him 6 times out of 10. But being a superior fighter doesn't mean you will beat a lesser fighter necessarily.
Tyson is the only fighter who knocked out Holmes and Spinks and these were power Ko's and not garbage cut things.(Othewise nothing can prove the 100% best version Holmes or Spinks were better than Tyson. (Basically Tyson looked far better against the common opponent(s)). True, Lewis and Holy beat Tyson but i don't know only one fighter who has an endless prime era.
Francois Botha was beating the **** out of Tyson until he got ko'ed. Tyson ate Ruddock's bombs like it was a buffet and barely flinched which showed that he has a granite chin.
Well yeah, he timed it pretty well but I also think it's also a bit wrong on Holmes's side because of that reckless uppercut that opened his defense.
Shavers is more of a slugger. Tyson is a technical brawler. Different fighters, different styles, different techniques, different tools. Tyson showed he could turn the trick against Douglas in the 8th after getting pummeled for 7+ rounds. Douglas rose at the 9 9/10 count and didn't look too happy to continue. Then the bell rang to stop him from getting a further Tyson sample. Douglas resumed control the very next round, but that 8th proved Tyson could come back from the brink. What other ATG heavyweight came from behind like that in a fight? Louis vs Conn? Marciano against Walcott? Ali vs Cooper? What about Holmes, Lewis, Holyfield or Wlad? And where does it say in the pantheon of All Time Greatness that a true ATG needs to come back after being destroyed? *And do you mean in a rematch after losing or in the actual fight and making a comeback? That shouldn't be a mark against Mike Tyson because tons of other ATG's didn't accomplish that feat either.
The case for Tyson's "iron chin" is way overstated, but you do have a valid point considering the Douglas fight that I didn't think of.
Tyson's chin is top tier. Maybe not the best but it's close. Holyfield's gotten dropped from single shots and his chin is iron, is it not? Mercer is considered one of the best but even he got dropped from Holy's left hook, and Mercer was fighting off the back foot. Tyson plunges in, so the shock and power is amplified when he'd get caught. I think McCall, maybe Cobb and Chuvalo are the only guys with a clear, better chin than Tyson. Next would be Mercer, Tyson, Holyfield, Ali, Tucker, Tua, Bonecrusher, Foreman etc at the same level. I might be missing a few.
