Tyson getting revange for Ali?

MaccaveliMacc · Nov 11, 2024

janitor said: ↑

Kevin McBride:

"This is for Larry Holmes."

Not really.
Click to expand...

What about Buster? "This is for my mon and the great Larry Holmes." Not really tho.

drenlou · Nov 11, 2024

That's what Tyson said in his fight with Larry Holmes.

Sangria · Nov 11, 2024

Saintpat said: ↑

Tyson (much like Marvin Hagler and many more) was one of those guys who would find ways to get himself pumped up and motivated — create a reason to hate the opponent because it made him work harder and come in with bad intentions.

I don’t think it amounts to much. I don’t think had they never fought that Tyson was walking around muttering ‘I gotta get my hands on that Larry Holmes, I need to pay him back for Ali.’ Once the fight was signed, he gave himself a reason to make it personal because he operated better that way.

Another example, he supposedly gave Tyrell Biggs payback because Biggs ‘took his spot’ at the Olympics. He dreamed up a scenario that he wanted to fight at super heavyweight but “they” made him fight at heavyweight (201 pounds) instead because they had hand-picked Biggs.

This ignores the fact that Tyson had competed in exactly two national tournaments to that point (as an open division fighter, not youth division, which doesn’t lead to the Olympics), the National Golden Gloves two years in a row, and had competed in both in the 201-pound heavyweight division. Winning the NGG is how he punched a ticket to the Olympic Trials.

The ways to get to the Olympic Trials were:

Win the National Golden Gloves, or …

Win the USA Boxing national championship, or …

Be the all-service champion (winner among the Army, Navy and Marines tournament), or …

Win either the Eastern Trials or Western Trials (those are like last-chance qualifying events, one on each side of the country).

I don’t know if in 1984 they also brought in the runners-up from the NGG and USA tournaments for preliminary qualifying bouts. They do now.

But I do know that you don’t just show up and say ‘I want to try out for the Olympics in this weight class.’ You have to qualify to compete in the trials. And whatever division you qualify in, that’s the division you can make the Olympics for. You cannot, for instance, quality at light middleweight and then declare you want to fight at middleweight in the Trials.

You COULD, if you didn’t make it in one class, go to the Eastern or Western trials and try in another weight class — move up or down — and make it that way. But you can’t win the NGG at one weight and show up at the Trials and compete in another.

So whoever “they” were must have been the ones who wrote the rules, and it was the same rules before and after Mike Tyson’s amateur career. If Mike was unable to get past Henry Tillman at 201, he’d have had a helluva time winning at super heavyweight.

Bottom line, while Tyson was masterfully crafted to win a pro world championship during his amateur days, Cus didn’t prepare him to be an Olympic champ — didn’t fight in enough national tournaments, didn’t get international experience (until he fought in some bigger events after the Trials but before he turned pro), didn’t get the kind of experience that helps in competing at the top level to refine his game. Most of Mike’s amateur experience was in ‘smokers’ that were unofficial type amateur fights at out-of-the-way locations. Cus wanted to keep Mike out of the limelight … maybe in part to keep other top amateurs from scouting him but probably more importantly to keep top pro managers and promoters from stealing him away by keeping him a secret.

So Biggs or the U.S. national boxing structure did nothing to keep Mike from claiming an Olympic spot at super heavy … if anyone did, it was Cus for keeping him in the 201 division. But that didn’t stop Mike from using it as if he was avenging a great wrong when he met Biggs in the pro ranks.
Click to expand...

I agree with a lot of this post. However...

Mike wasn't pissed that Biggs supposedly took his spot at the Olympics. Mike was an alternate. He was pissed at Biggs for snubbing him, being aloof by looking down on him and treating him bad as if he wasn't good enough to be there.

Had nothing to do with Biggs taking his spot.

Overhand94 · Nov 11, 2024

Sangria said: ↑

I agree with a lot of this post. However...

Mike wasn't pissed that Biggs supposedly took his spot at the Olympics. Mike was an alternate. He was pissed at Biggs for snubbing him, being aloof by looking down on him and treating him bad as if he wasn't good enough to be there.

Had nothing to do with Biggs taking his spot.
Click to expand...

Yes, he said that Biggs dissed him in the airport in front of someone who had wished them good luck.

Saintpat · Nov 11, 2024

Sangria said: ↑

I agree with a lot of this post. However...

Mike wasn't pissed that Biggs supposedly took his spot at the Olympics. Mike was an alternate. He was pissed at Biggs for snubbing him, being aloof by looking down on him and treating him bad as if he wasn't good enough to be there.

Had nothing to do with Biggs taking his spot.
Click to expand...

This may be a “two things can be true” situation.

Per the Chicago Tribune before Tyson-Biggs for the heavyweight title, Tyson wanted to fight at super heavyweight in the Olympics, which of course Biggs won the gold medal:

Tyson felt that should have been his medal, but amateur officials preferred Biggs in the super heavyweight division, which forced Tyson to the heavyweight division, where he lost a decision to Henry Tillman in the trials.”

https://boxrec.com/wiki/index.php/Mike_Tyson_vs._Tyrell_Biggs

RulesMakeItInteresting · Nov 11, 2024

They all just wanted the money.

Log in or Sign up

Tyson getting revange for Ali?

MaccaveliMacc Boxing Addict Full Member

drenlou VIP Member

Sangria You bleed like Mylee Full Member

Overhand94 Active Member Full Member

Saintpat Obsessed with Boxing Full Member

RulesMakeItInteresting Boxing Junkie Full Member

Log in or Sign up

Forums

Tyson getting revange for Ali?

MaccaveliMacc Boxing Addict Full Member

drenlou VIP Member

Sangria You bleed like Mylee Full Member

Overhand94 Active Member Full Member

Saintpat Obsessed with Boxing Full Member

RulesMakeItInteresting Boxing Junkie Full Member