As is known, Tyson lost to Tillman, and Tillman won the Olympic Gold at heavyweight. What if Tyson went up and fought at Super-heavy against Felix Savon? How do you see this panning out? Or more intriguingly, how do you see prime Tyson vs Felix Savon in the pros, assuming Felix had some pro bouts to get acclimated?
Tyson gets annihalated.. lol a 17 year old midget who power would be no factor against an Olympic legend... Come on get off his nuts. This isn't pro... Andrey
I'm a Tyson fan obviously but I'm under no illusions. I can see Savon beating a very young Tyson but what do you think of a prime Tyson vs Savon in the pros, assuming Savon gets some pro experience under his belt?
savon gets overated . yes a very young tyson might have been outboxed. IMO a 21 tyson walks through savon.
Well obviouslyt pro Tyson would kick Savon's ass even if he had lots of experience but in amateur a 17 year old Tyson would stand as much chance as 17 year old Tua. Andrey
As a three round amateur fight? No doubts in my mind, Savon would be able to blunt the young Tyson's attacks and stick 'n' move to a comfortable points win. As a pro fight later on, well, we never saw Savon as a pro so who knows how he might've developed? I'd have to back Tyson because his development and improvement at least is defined.
In 1984 Savon was still fighting in the junior ranks, I believe, as a 16 year-old, so he would've been a little too young and inexperienced to tackle Tyson (who himself was just coming into his own and suprsied at the trials) at that point. If Tyson had faced the top Cuban heavyweight as an amatuer in 1984, that would have been a matchup with Aurelio Toyo, who, while certainly didn't achieve the status that Savon eventually did (Savon actually beat Toyo by decision the next year in 1985 to take his place as Cuban's top heavyweight), was a fine amateur heavyweight in his own right and who, of course, used that classic Cuban style. Toyo had a nice long left jab on him that helped him outbox Tillman at the Pan Am Games in '83, and he also had some good power, as well, as Olympic hopeful Henry Milligan found out during a duel meet in early 1984 when Toyo iced him with one single counter right hand over the jab. By using his long jab, Toyo was also clearly outboxing the world amateur champion, Willie de Wit, over the course of the first round during their meeting at the 1983 North Amercian championships, although unfortunately for Toyo, he got caught with a huge right hand in the second round and the follow up by de Wit left him on the canvas for some time afterwards. Toyo was behind only de Wit (#1) and Yagubkin (#2) in the heavyweight rankings going into the Games and no doubt would have been one of the medal favourites (possible gold medal) that year had there not been a boycott.
How many pro rounds? It's not like you get acclimated to the pro's with 3 fights mate. If they'd fought in the ams I pick Savon anyday (even though I love Tyson 100 times more).
Very interesting. Maybe De Wit vs Tyson in the Olympics would have been a more intriguing matchup.....
