Tyson vs. Rahman in 2001

I'm of the belief that Tyson should continue to train just to maintain some semblance of shape.

But I won't lie...if Tyson decided to come back? I'd watch. I'm a sucker. I can deal.

 

Even a shot Tyson would have a chance against a prime Rahman, just beacuse that shaky chin he have.

 

With that fragile chin He need to change his nick to paper.

 

Huzzah!

Good question.

I mean, it's easy to say that without fighting Lewis Tyson wouldn't be considered The Man...but then The Man really was Rahman for those seven months in 2001, he had knocked Lewis out. So even without it being Lewis and Rahman not held at the same kind of level as Lewis (even with the loss) I think I would be a big boost to Mike's standing.

He'd have won heavyweight titles across three decades, and would've become the top man in the division for the first time since 1990. In terms of longevity, that would be a notable achievement.

Tyson vs Lewis would still have had to happen, too much money and interest in it, but if King had been able to fiddle his way out of the contractual Lewis-Rahman rematch to do Tyson-Rahman instead, then he could get in another fight or two for Tyson first. Such as Tyson-Ruiz to unify the belts, perhaps.

Which then throws up the horrible possibility of John Ruiz, 2002 undisputed heavyweight champion... :scaredas:

 

He won't be back, there are no more reports as of this for the past few days and he himself stated not so long he wont get out of retirement. This was just something somebody - maybe Stankovic's managers made up to draw attention to him. And covered it up by sending the fake new's to a mexican/hispanic papers :roll:

 

Mike was showing up 3 months ago to watch sparring in the gym and offer advice to Bounty Hunter jr, His shape was not so terrible and if motivated he could be making 235 in 6 weeks.. He probably wont fight again but if he does he will still have enough to beat a lot of inept opposition ... Mike knows how boxing works and he knows what his capabilities are.. he just has to be able to get his mind right..




mirageboxing.blogspot.com

 

This would be considered an interesting fight on the back of one well thrown punch from Rahman??

You have to ask yourself what exactly has Rahman done in his career before or beyond that?

 

I'd go with Tyson, as Rahman had very limited skills, not being creative with his punches. He was basically a jab, jab, right hand fighter. Even this version of Tyson would have smoked him.

I remember watching the first Lewis - Rahman fight thinking how uninspired both fighters looked, then Rahman lands his lucky punch and doesn't shut up for 6 months.

Tyson was a much more natural fighter and a naturally meaner person.

 

The situation was as follows:

Showtime offered Rahman a load of money to fight Tyson, while HBO offered Rahman a load of money to fight Lewis again. It was basically HBO and Showtime trying to secure the heavyweight title for their network. Rahman, in a moronic move rejected both and signed with Don King. He was then going to fight Brian Nielsen in China (which was changed to David Izon) on a double bill with Ruiz-Holyfield 3.

What happened was that Lewis sued and got his rematch, destroying Rahman, who got much, much less money than he would have if he´d just have accepted HBO´s offer (and his career then went straight down the drain). Had he accepted Showtime´s offer, the Tyson fight probably wouldn´t have come off anyway due to Lewis´ lawsuit.

I just remember worrying that Tyson would beat Rahman and Lewis would then be locked out of the heavyweight picture. After Rahman signed with King, I was worried at the disgusting thought of a Rahman-Ruiz unification fight for the undisputed title, with Don King controlling and protecting the champion at all costs. What a horrible scenario that would have been (especially if Ruiz had won - which could easily have happened).

 

After he lost to that hopeless bum, whose name I can´t even remember, in his last fight, I don´t think he should get near the ring again. (oh it was McBride, just remembered).

 

Yeah but Rahman got a duffle bag of cash from King.

 

It was even more drastic to see the decline from Danny Williams to Kevin McBride. Tyson did lose the Williams fight, but he still had a lot of speed and technique, almost KOing Williams early. Some say he also suffered an ankle injury in that fight. In the McBride fight, Tyson had nothing, no speed, no technique and he´d even lost his aggression. He seemed mentally absent and uninterested.

McBride is a complete bum. Nielsen was probably better than McBride, by a considerable margin. McBride got KOed by Mike Mollo in his next fight and Golota after that. He also had KO losses to Davarryl Williamson, Michael Murray, Axel Schulz and Lois Monaco before the Tyson fight.

Compare McBride´s record: http://www.boxrec.com/list_bouts.php?human_id=7386&cat=boxer

To Nielsen´s record: http://www.boxrec.com/list_bouts.php?human_id=4681&cat=boxer

 

One major reason Tyson's decline appeared to be so sudden was his size. Merchant and many others had recognised it all along, but some seemed to be oblivious to the fact that a short heavyweight like Tyson needs everything he has against guys who have that much weight on him. It does not matter if they suck as all they have to do is survive and then wear him down.

He put weight on, sure, but that was to be expected of a guy of his age.

He was never going to have a long career.

 

the tyson who went nuts on savarese would have been an early night for rah rah!