Was Mike Tyson good or great?

he was not just good.. You don't wipe out guys like that if you are just good. He was great. But his style needed complete concentration and dedication to do well against the taller guys in the division. Once he slacked off in training and got lazy a little and his defense slipped, he was going to lose regardless of being in his prime or not. A guy like Marvin Hagler always trained. He was a guy who did not need to be told things he just knew. Mike was more immature than Marvin and he didn't learn it the hard way Marvin did, so he slacked off and didn't keep his title. but he was great. yes.

 

Did I not say Spoon and Douglas? Oh well, Douglas wasn't perceived as a threat of any kind anyways. But Tyson trounced through the rest of them. Holyfield can't say that. Holmes can't even say that. And in the amount of time Tyson did it? Unheard of.

 

Douglas wasn't talked about as, well, anything to worry about. He got his shot because Ribalta looked horrible and the Ruddock bout was canceled. Tyson dominated his era like no one else dominated their era. Yes, Tyson OWNED his era.

The only ones agreeing with you are probably Wass and Morlocks. Not great company to be in.

 

How the hell can he have OWNED his era you simpleton when he couldn't beat Douglas who was ranked in the top 10?

 

For me greatness comes with a certain level of accomplishment, which is something Tyson never had. And something that cements that for me is that there always seems to be an excuse for everything he did that wasn't that good.

If you can't dedicate yourself to the sport, then it's very hard for me to consider you a great.

 

did every all timer need to beat each and every fighter in a division to be dominant? I dont believe there are many in history that beat everyone at a specific time (Tyson came close), at least when those opponents were at their best. Look at Lennox, he didn't face Byrd and a few others but still owned the division at that time, you could say cleaned out. He beat over the hill Holyfield and washed up Tyson but does that mean much in the scheme of things? Looks good on paper I guess but i'd never say Lewis legitimately beat those so called contemporaries.

Tyson got beat by Douglas but didnt avenge that fight due to Douglas going south. This has happened to other fighters but Tyson seems to get penalised more that others might. Holyfiled is his legit nightmare fight, but during the late 80s Holy wasn't on the scene so Tyson dominated that era.

 

HEY! I resemble that remark¿`

 

I didnt see anyone else owning the late 80s

 

I don't see anyone else being asked if they're an ATG........

 

But the fact is Tyson did face that person and did get knocked out twice without ever avenging a defeat.

Fair enough Douglas got beat the fight after but it was such a one sided drubbing i doubt Tyson had the ability to gain his revenge.

 

Great skills. Alot of times he chose not to use them.

 

Unlike Holmes and Ali before him, virtually every one of Mike's defenses was against the top available contender. Bruno was an exception, and perhaps Douglas too, but these were still tough guys with good resumes. Tyson didn't waste the world's time by defending against the Zanons, Evangelistas, and LeDouxs of the world as his predecessors did.

 

I didn’t say he never lost, I said that he dominated the late 80s, which he did, cleaning it out as much as he could have in that time. I agree he hasn't got a clean sheet, I don't think he gets a free pass after 90 but I think his comeback gets underrated. A lot of people say Buster ended Tyson but thats not really the case, prison is what did that. Up until that point he was beating some solid fighters, blasted out Stewart, who gave Holy a decent fight, and battered feared contender Razor Ruddock. That doesn't suggest he was finished to me. Anyway, Tyson went off the rails and that's down to him, the stats are the stats.

 

I agree in a way. He cannot be top 3 ATG, but he is ATG because of how he dominated and took out guys who were normally durable. Good guys couldn't have done this. I asked Ray Leonard once does a great fighter, have to have great fights? He said YES!!! very forcefully. Which in Tyson's case not really. Floyd would not be great if that were the case.

 

You asked Ray Leonard once?... Holy ****, are you literally Pernell Whitaker?