What 21 year old fighter was greater than Tyson from the Spinks fight?

You really hate Tyson haha, if Cooper managed to drop Ali once then I don't doubt Tyson would do the same. No Tyson would not look slow Ali never faced anyone with such explosive footwork, unpredictable head movement, and combo god, like Tyson at that point. Tyson either ko Ali or lasts more than 10 rounds because Tyson who barely trained, had no motivation, partied all night, had sex with hookers to 3 am on the day of the fight went 10 rounds with Douglas, and even managing knocking him down once.

 

Completely disagree.

Benitez beat a legend at 17 years old. Then went out and beat a strong champion to take his second world title.

Tyson was beating up on retreads. The only champion Tyson beat was Michael Spinks, who moved up from light heavyweight and caught an aging champ on a end-of-career bad night (and arguably lost the rematch).

Tyson was a dynamo but his accomplishments at age 21 do not stand up as some incredible standard. Trevor Berbick was a belt-holder who made zero successful defenses. Same for James Smith. Same for Tony Tucker (who won a vacant belt and made no defenses).

Spinks was the lineal champ and credit to him (and then to Tyson) for that, but it would be like if Benitez had to just beat, some lightweight or junior welter who had stepped up a weight class, won a belt over a nobody and didn’t defend it and then lost to Wilfred.

 

TL/DR: Tyson had excuses. SMH.

 

Benitez had already been stopped by Leonard and drawn with Weston by age 21. He was top 3 at welter. Tyson was pfp 1.

Tyson’s run of dominance and the way he unified at heavyweight is just about unheard of. Two division non-heavyweight champs who lose their biggest fight are a lot more common.

 

Cosy old cut off point.

Tyson was 3 days off 22 and when Ali beat Liston he was about 19 days older than Tyson which of course made him 22

 

The point is Benitez had accomplished so much more BY that time. You want to click a stopwatch and say ‘on this exact moment of their lives, Tyson — because he started later and accomplished less earlier — was at a certain point and that point is better than Wilfred’s.’

I just don’t see it like that: One had already won TWO world titles against respected champions.

I don’t know that anyone else has done what Tyson did because there wasn’t another time when three leftovers from an era of undistinguished BELT-HOLDERS — not champions (besides Larry Holmes) — were still playing musical chairs with their baubles for someone to happen along and take.

Trevor, Smith and Tucker were just guys who happened to have titles. I think a lot of fighters through history could have collected those. As noted elsewhere, what Ali accomplished in beating a CHAMPION in Liston was much more impressive IMO.

 

Reality Check: (1) Berbick had beaten Thomas who was pfp top ten to win a title, (2) Spinks beat a top 5 heavyweight ever for his title, and was one of the best 175s ever, and (3) Tucker was undefeated and TKO’d an in-form Douglas on the way to landing a belt.

Tyson washed those guys. His level of dominance at heavyweight during that time was ridiculous. Benitez needed to beat Leonard to be in the conversation. He didn’t even last the distance.

 

Where in the world are you getting your P4P ratings? Berbick P4P top 10? LOL.

Spinks was a great light heavyweight, no doubt. In fact, I consider him the P4P greatest, personally. He beat a great heavyweight … who was on his last legs. It’s like citing Rocky Marciano’s win over Joe Louis as proof of his greatness.

Tucker won a vacant belt. Never defended it. Never did much of anything, actually. Nor did Trevor. Nor did Bonecrusher.

Washed is a good word, because that collection of heavyweight belt-holders was a mess that some washerwoman could have probably cleaned up.

Tyson to this point never fought anyone on the level of a SR Leonard, a TRUE P4P machine in his prime who was on his way to all-time greatness.

Tyson did, however, get beat up by Tokyo Douglas and get taken to the woodshed by Evander. You want to see someone get “washed,” go look at those fights.

Yes, what Tyson accomplished was noteworthy … had he fought Larry Holmes in 1983 at age 17 — the age by which Benitez was collecting his first world title — Mike would have been sent back to the pigeon cage so he never would have accomplished anything by the time he was 21 years old.

 

It’s possible that some had beaten better fighters and certainly in the lower divisions... but I don’t think that any man achieved the sort of world wide magnitude or charisma that Mike Tyson did by that age.... Maybe it was ingenious promoting or a media infatuation. Whatever. But completely dominating the sport and becoming an overnight celebrity in under 36 months is rare to say the least

 

Thomas was pfp. Berbick beat Thomas.

Tyson’s run was trailblazing.

Benitez beat a low level hofer and a mid level hofer, and lost to a top tier hofer over two divisions. Not the same level.

 

And got knocked the crap out of for the majority of the fight, ended up getting knocked silly. Not much of an argument.

 

None of the guys Tyson beat by this time frame were Hall of Famers of any sort. So how is that better?

I asked the source of your P4P claim for Trevor. I don’t see an answer.

Beating a legendary champion on the road at age 17 is trailblazing. I notice Mike Tyson couldn’t follow that trail. He was still fighting for trophies and ribbons and taking care of pigeons at that age.

I’ll guarantee Benitez beat more legit P4P top 10 guys AT THE TIME they were P4P top 10 than Tyson did. And fought more. And fought more Hall of Famers. And beat more Hall of Famers. Etc.

 

And if you look at the old boxing mags & ratings at that time, many had Cervantes #2 pd fr pd in the world. Look it up.

 

Right behind Berbick no doubt, right @NoNeck (g)

 

It was the explosive nature of his wins more than purely the level of opposition that Tyson fought that made his impact on the sport so awesome. If he had beaten the level of opposition but had only outpointed Holmes and Spinks (think the Tyson who fought Bonecrusher) then it wouldn't feel nearly as impressive. As I still remember those days, I haven't witnessed any fighter in my lifetime have that sort of seismic impact on the sport since.

But yeah, it's conveniently selective to use the age 21 to compare his achievements when he was so near to 22 as that would bring in a lot more fighters. Tony Canzoneri was only a week or so past 22 when he picked up the world lightweight title with a first round kayo, having already been featherweight champ as a teenager. There's one example.