Teddy Atlas says Tyson isn’t close to being an All Time Great [2017]

Foreman proved his toughness and will to win over his entire career. Tyson did not. That’s the difference.

 

Both Atlas and George Foreman need to zip it....they say silly things...and if he were still alive, I'd suggest that Jack Sharkey shut the hell up too.

 

Duran?

 

Liston?

 

Tyson's resume from 85-90 alone makes him an ATG. Tyson for all his gifts seemed to be a reluctant fighter. He never seemed happy when he was boxing, nowadays in retirement he seems happy and content and I'm glad for him.

 

Mike is nowhere near Duran, Leonard, Hearns, Armstrong, Robinson, Ali, Louis. He was still a great fighter though imo.

I can't rate Liston in my top ten without acknowledging his cowardly actions. Same goes for Mike, though I one of the reasons I rate him out of the top ten is because I felt he never beat a Floyd Patterson (let alone twice, and with terrifying decisiveness). Thomas, a just-turned-grandfather Holmes, Williams, Seldon, Berbick, Bruno, Spinks...only the blown up light heavy is anywhere comparable, and then only at light-heavy (Spinks didn't exactly prove himself at the higher weight, he self-admittedly took advantage of the end of a great champion's reign).

Mike could have really used a couple of tune up bouts after prison and then a fight with Lewis (whom he just might have beaten at the time, pre-Steward). His beating Lewis would have been the biggest win of his career by far, and the biggest money (perhaps it's best remembered that LL turned down huge money to fight Mike).

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That's just one scenario: unlike the 80s, we had three inarguably ATG heavies around in the 90s: Mike couldn't beat Holy (and would have got stopped earlier during the latter's peak), so imo he should have immediately went for the other two (or hell, George Foreman...though he'd stop Mike earlier than Bowe). His stature would have been near unquestionable, especially if it was a hard fight with perhaps Mike experiencing a knockdown or two.

 

well another thing that is always dismissed with Tyson==funny how certain guys get a bunch of get out of jail free cards===was that he was the guy pulling out of the first Holyfield fight. And he knew with his looming prison sentence there was not enough time to re-schedule.

Bruised ribs? He simply has to grit his teeth in there and take on the champion. What he cannot do is withdraw from that big of a bout under those circumstances. So he has to fight regardless of being 100% and get the great result like the great fighters. Even with that, it wasn't as if it was a scenario where the deck was stacked against him.

Can you imagine all the grief lets say a guy like Lewis would have had to absorb wearing those same shoes and doing the same thing?

 

Most fighters when intimidated become different fighters; some are able change their situation others are not. With the exception of the Lewis fight considering the stage of his career when it happened, I don't think there was any fighter that Tyson got into the ring with that intimidated him considering his bail out plan which consisted of the possibility either hand landing flush and ending the fight on moment's notice.

I probably won't change your position regarding Tyson, but for sake of discussion, are there other criteria that used when assessing a fighter. You points seem awfully subjective; what about his tenure as champion? Opposition defeated? Historical significance?

 

Leave me out of it, hater. You only come along to trash and tarnish Tyson's image. Who cares if Duran had longevity over Tyson. Tyson did what nobody was able to do in 3 short years: win the world title at 20 years old, unify every belt one by one, regain the title 10 years after first winning it (joining Ali and Foreman as the only men to ever do this) and destroy fighters who never touched the canvas.

Have you anything positive to say about Iron Mike?

 

Watch both Tyson-Ruddock fights again. If Tyson folded like a lawn chair in a midwestern tornado so easily then you have these two fights as proof. Even the Douglas fight, Tyson almost became the poster boy for incredible comebacks.

What bouts did Tyson quit and cease to fight?

 

Again. What the f*ck are you even talking about? Foreman quit the sport in what should have been his physical prime. How tough was that? Visions in Puerto Rico scared him senseless for a decade.

I imagine if one were to shake your skull that your brain would rattle like a bean in a boxcar.

 

Scared senseless? Please.

Foreman had a spiritual awakening much like Cat Stevens did when he turned his back on the music business. Some people are wired differently to others and reaching the pinnacle of their chosen profession isn't enough and doesn't leave them fulfilled or satisfied. George was clearly one of those people. He transformed his life and become a better person (much like Tyson has now, though it took him a bit longer).

To say that him becoming a minister for a decade was a sign of weakness or cowardice is absolute bullsh1t. The guy who came back from the 4th round shellacking against Ron Lyle or kept going with a face looking like a gargoyle against Alex Stewart can't have his toughness or courage questioned in my view.

 

Retiring has nothing to do with heart and will to win. George showed this in spades in his bout with Lyle and numerous bouts bouts during his comeback. This is not in dispute by anyone anywhere.

Against Rudduck he never really was losing. Got hit a few good times but he was the front runner during both contests. His legacy bouts were Douglas (koed), Holyfield 1 (koed), Holyfield 2 (quit via foul out), Lewis (koed).

Tyson’s lack of determination when faced with a challenge is why he is not rated higher all time.

 

Spinks was a legacy bout as well.

 

So you do think Tyson compares to Duran in terms of greatness then ?
Ok, in that case I stand corrected.