Spinks and Tyson, who do you rate higher all time?

Spinks of course

 

Yes, if Tyson came down to 175 I’m sure Spinks would destroy him … probably in 91 seconds or so actually.

Spinks is the greater fighter P4P. Tyson is obviously the better heavyweight. Spinks has the better wins (even at heavyweight) and Tyson has worse losses.

Spinks was nearly 32 years old when he lost to Tyson. Tyson was getting beat up by Holyfield before that age (not to mention Douglas in Mike’s prime).

I don’t see their H2H outweighing all that P4P.

 

Douglas ahead of Tyson then.

 

Spinks by quite a long distance. As heavyweight’s Tyson, but overall, better career, p4p etc; isn’t close. Much like Sam Peter isn’t close to James Toney.

 

And some people think Tillis beat Tyson so what's your point ? Every great fighter has had a close decision in their career.

The fact is Spinks beat some of the most dangerous impressive Light Heavyweights of all time like Dwight Muhammad Qawi, Marvin Johnson, Eddie Mustata Muhammad, Yaqui Lopez, in what's considered one of the strongest Light Heavyweight era.

P4P Spinks rates very highly as a Light Heavyweight regarding H2H and achievements, clearly Spinks beat better opposition overall than Tyson did, add to the fact that Tyson is a small Heavyweight regarding his height. And may be found wanting against some of the Super Heavyweights, I don't think it's an outrageous claim to say Spinks is a better P4P fighter at Light Heavyweight than Tyson is at Heavyweight.

 

no, “mental masturbation” is when you have a fixed idea in your head, and won’t consider any evidence anyone other than yourself puts forth, yet you try like hell to make it seem as if you’re making a “fair” argument. Like what you’re doing.

the very phrase “pound for pound”, which you use in your silly reply, renders your argument useless. You say it’s ok to compare “Ricardo Lopez to Marvin Johnson”, but not Tyson & Spinks…why? Just because they actually fought? No…

the entire POINT of discussing “p4p” is so we can try to imagine something we can Never know, which is, how would a great smaller man fare against a great bigger man; we still have no clue as to how the 175-lb Michael Spinks - arguably the greatest LHW of all times (you can deny Spinks your top spot, but you cannot deny he’s in the conversation. Tyson is NOBODY’S idea of the greatest HW ever, not even close to being in that discussion. Is this “meaningful” to this reply? Maybe not. But imo these are facts) - would do against Tyson.

Just look at the resumes, the number of quality wins. Spinks beat the prime versions of Dwight Qawi, Eddie Mustafa Muhammad - hell, he almost killed Marvin Johnson (since you brought him up) with his 4th or 5th best punch . For similar reasons to why Ali is the greatest Hw (he ruled the division when it was at its absolute deepest, in terms of talent), Spinks is imo the greatest LHW ever.

Light heavyweights have no business fighting heavyweights in modern times. As great as he was, Spinks wouldn’t have beaten a prime Larry Holmes. Too big and too great. MS got him at a good time, and winning the HW title had been unprecedented for a the current LHW champ, so it was a nice win, regardless. But it set him on a future collision course with the prime Tyson (who wasn’t on the scene when Spinks beat Holmes the first time), whose best fighting weight was 216; that’s a 41-lb natural weight advantage (not to mention, Spinks was getting old - and inactive; in fact he was never enthusiastic about boxing for a living - by 1988 as well, so he was smaller AND older than Tyson). Let’s not be stupid and pretend that has no bearing on a fight. Duh.

 

As a HW - Iron Mike. P4P - The Jynx.

 

Not even close.

Love Tyson. But Spinks dominated a much stronger 175 lb division than Tyson dominated the heavyweight division.

Boxing is a pound for pound sport. Obviously a natural 175 lb guy like Spinks wasn't going to beat a rampaging Tyson who was a natural 215 lber with ungodly combination of speed and power. But that does not matter.

A great big man beating a great smaller man (taller yes, but smaller framed) does not mean the great big man should be rated higher. Otherwise, there would be no purpose for the lighter divisions if h2h is the only thing that mattered.

 

Spinks easily, are we kidding? Tyson is one of the most appalling cases of under-achieving relative to your talent ever witnessed in Boxing.

Spinks by streets.

 

If you come at it from the perspective of comparing careers, as I do, it’s no contest. Spinks wins easily. Of course he would never beat Tyson head-to-head, though.