Tysons Career Without The Prison Sentence

No, Buster Douglas intervened.
If God intervened HE salvaged a bit of Tyson's rep, more likely.

Tyson wasn't even champion when he went away. He'd struggled with Ruddock, who's reputation outside of those two fights was built on knocking a lot of unranked has-beens, and a badly faded Dokes. Like a black Gerry Cooney maybe.

The way I see it, Holyfield would have always IMPROVED his game for a Tyson fight, so we can expect a 150% Holyfield in 1991.
Whereas Tyson post-'88, and post-Douglas would never be 100% of his former self, mentally he just wouldn't be able to be.

 

I agree with your assessment in the opening statement. Even though Tyson was declining he showed up in shape and focused for that first Ruddock fight. He'd show up in shape for Holyfield too. He wanted those titles back badly and I lean slightly towards him taking them back, 55% to 45%. Holyfield would have something to prove as well but the game plan would be different, not to mention proper preparation without Bell and Tua as sparring mates.

It all depends on how Tyson approaches his opponents after that. The division was hot again and I'd hate to say it but Tyson proved in his career that sometimes if he didn't show up in shape or focused he'd get tossed, ie. Douglas and Holyfield I. Even the Ruddock rematch that was put together at the last minute where Tyson lost focus and didn't seem as determined as their first fight. I'm sure he'd do this again somewhere down the line. This inconsistency along with his lifestyle wold lead to another loss. It would be against the best of the division, though, with someone like Bowe or Lewis.

 

The evidence on the film shows clearly that he fights NOTHING like he used to fight, post prison Tyson was LESS than a shell of his former-self the decline is blatantly obvious on the film, watch the film pre and post it's so obvious if you can't see the huge difference you must not have boxed before.

 

He had noticeably declined... But calling him "less than a shell" of his former self is an exaggeration, unless you're talking about the Tyson who fought Lewis in 2002... Not the one who started his comeback in 1995.

 

No exaggeration at all the decline in technique is huge from pre to post no matter how far you're looking it's hardly surprising given the fact he had a 4 year 2 month layoff without even putting on a pair of gloves or hitting a bag, plus he was never the same mentally he wasn't that ferocious warrior anymore it's like jail corrupted him and at the same time civilised him.

 

He was past his best.. That's all I'll agree to.

 

It seemed like Tyson was almost hesitant to get down and dirty post prison leading up to the Holyfield rematch. Anyone else notice this?

 

Tyson would have absolutely mauled Bowe. He loses to Holyfield every-time. He was never gonna blow Holyfield out, it'd always be nip-and-tuck, and he'd lost the engine to win against Holyfield at this point. I don't see him regaining it.

Heck, after reading what Cus put him through, I don't see anyone doing that without someone lighting a fire under your ass. I don't even blame him.

Tysons career without the prison sentence would have run hot and cold -- I don't think he can motivate himself to such a degree to salvage the fights where it doesn't go his way and he ships some huge shots.

Tyson was always there to take the beating, but he couldn't turn matches around because he lost the engine to keep charging into the opponent, ship the huge shots or duck them with constant motion, and fire crisp explosive combinations.

For a short, stocky, uncannily fast man, that burns energy. He'd be fighting in spurts, leaning on his punch and the remnants of what he once learned, and it would often work, and sometimes not.

 

Well said, its like the lunatic act was just covering up a lot of personal problems Tyson had (which just escalated post-prison)

 

Don't think he was ever the same after Douglas, or ever would have been. Life was going down the toilet, and he seemed intimidated that he hadn't intimidated.

Dominant performances after that seemed to be against fighters who'd panicked themselves over his rep- I'm looking at you Frank Bruno- and when Holyfield refused to be intimidated Tyson couldn't make him.

 

he loses.

It may not even be to a top fighter, but a soft overlooked kind of guy. the big problem then becomes the further deterioration of his skillset due to another loss. Tyson is a guy that just cannot handle a loss without like a 20% deterioration.

Between the subtractions and the youthful up and comers, it was going to be a much different ballgame than fighting the old guys when he had the youthful reflexes against the older Spinks and Smith and Tubbs and Thomas and all those sliding down the mountain guys. Tyson would have been the guy on the other side of the mountain.