Tyson when he fought Tony Tucker, he basically couldn't even hurt him. Why was that?

I saw Tucker's legs buckle when getting hit by left hooks. Tucker at some point in the fight pretty much abandoned any offense and resorted to spoiling more and more which is why he lost rounds. If he had engaged Tyson, he might have been stopped.

 

Tyson was unprepared otherwise Tucker was fast and he could run away.
Seemingly Tyson didn't want to waste his energy for an uncertain ko and he outjabbed Tucker.

I think nobody could have stopped Tucker in '87 considering his fat shot version went the distance with Lewis
in 1993.

 

Every puncher has that one guy that just won't go..

 

Tucker was a huge guy with a good chin, fairly quick and a good boxer. Not an easy proposition to KO, especially when he's in survival mode for the second half of the fight like he was against Tyson.

 

Tucker was a good boxer fast and a big guy .He also had a good chin .A real what if? if he had stayed active in the late eighties .Wasted his best years who knows how a Tyson rematch would of gone in 90?

 

Tony was a talented fighter who had the skills to trouble Tyson. But had a hurt hand, and looking back on it, wasn't fully developed enough to handle Mike. But he did enough to earn respect.

 

Tucker in his prime was very durable, had an excellent gas tank, and unlike a lot of Tyson’s opponents could punch. Tucker also didn’t let Tyson get his preferred range too often. In close range Tyson isn’t too danerous, but at mid-range Tyson can knock anyone senseless.

 

Tucker was a legitimate very talented and capable heavyweight....he said he broke his hand when he hit Tyson with that first round left uppercut at the end of a combo....snapped Tyson head back and lifted him up off the ground and back it seemed.....anyone that takes a punch like that is bound make a guy think twice about looking for a KO

 

It is always dangerous to assume that one fighter is not hurting another.

Sometimes fighters are like a swan.

Graceful on the surface, but paddling like hell beneath it!

 

People make it sound kind Tucker was some bum. He was undefeated when he fought Tyson, was big, rangy, could move well, excellent chin, good jab.

Tyson's victory over him was one of his best performances and extremely under rated

 

Tucker was by no means a bum. I considered him for my top 50 heavies, and would probably have him coming in in the 60s for his wins over Douglas and McCall.

However, conversely, he is often overrated by Tyson fans in the same way that Corrie Sanders is overrated by Vitklit fans to beef up their man's resume.

I would say on the balance, Tucker is where he should be--an interesting historical anomaly that did pretty well and could have done a lot better.

 

Tucker fought to survive, trying to look for an opening in bursts, but I believe that during the fight he got injured too. Apparently he hurt a hand and from that point he went into 100% survival mode.

Tyson had the upperhand and cruised to the win, which noone should really argue with, unless they want the Moon on a stick as well.

 

Tucker was an excellent talent who was terribly managed by his father.
Tyson was always going to lose at some point to a big rangy heavyweight with a great jab who didn't lean into him and give up his height and reach advantage, a guy with courage, stamina and a game plan.
A guy like Tyrell Biggs had some of these qualities enough to last 7 rounds.
A guy like Tucker had more of these qualities which helped him survive.
Tokyo Douglas had all of these on the night which helped him win.
Tucker , like Biggs was never really the same after losing his unbeaten to Tyson. We never saw him at that level again. He was inactive for a while then had a string of B Level fights before a past peak version of himself performed with credit against Lennox.
Very few fighters could've put Tony away the night he fought Tyson.