What is your ranking of Mike Tyson?

Well let me ask you this. Would you pick the Holmes that Tyson fought to beat the Tyson that Lewis fought?

 

Me too. Id even give Spinks a good shot at that Tyson. Id give Holmes a decent shot against the Tyson that fought Holy too..

 

I just watched tyson tucker and tyson tubbs back to back.
Both guys came to fight,had good speed,skills,size and durability. Neither was intimidated. Tucker really had a tremendous go for the first five rounds,but seemed to tire from tysons pressure.
Tyson had a lot of intensity,physical prowess,speed and arkward skills.
Tysons overall punching prowess is second to none in the history of the heavyweight division,indeed second to none p4p either.
The funny thing i noticed was that between rounds rooney seemed to talk to tyson like he was a little child,and indeed tyson talked like a quite immature petulent child.
Tyson seemed to be a child in a mans body. Wonder why tyson took so long to grow up,because that seems to be the reason why he imploded.

 

You both make good points..

Frankly, I think a 1991 Razor Ruddock would have definitely beaten THAT version of Tyson who lost to Lewis. I doubt Spinks would have, simply because even a 2002 Tyson would have placed tremendous pressure on him, and the slower starting Spinks was never going to have much of a chance against that type of fighter.. When I look at how Tyson briefly staggered Lewis in that first round, I am inclined to thinking that if Spinks were in there, he might have gotten in trouble and not recovered.... As for Holmes, I think he got better as his comeback progressed and had time to get his fight game back... The 1988 version who was off for two years without even a single tune-up might have had a chance, but it would still look ugly.. The Holmes who beat Mercer was sharper due to regular activity.

 

Who is great prime heavyweight that Dempsey beat? That Marciano beat?

Tyson did beat a whole lot of championship level fighters even past his own prime.

 

i dont think the debate should be who would have won the holmes who fought tyson in 88 or the tyson who fought lewis i think its obvious that the holmes of 88 would have slaughtered the tyson who fought lewis judging on his performances years after against holyfield mccall and mercer the holmes who fought tyson in 88 was well past his prime but still very capable it was just that tyson in 88 was one of the greatest heavyweights ever tyson was completely shot when he fought lewis a better debate would be who would of won the holmes of 88 or the lewis of 02

 

Ruddock was a scary good fighter...not so sure about great though. Valid point either way.

 

Ruddock, Im sorry to say was more on the lines of most of Lewis title defenses. Good power mediocre overall skills. Thats why I rank Tyson highly, because I think during his title reign, he beat a very good crop of technically sound fighters, all the while using a very unfavorable style when facing those types, very difficult.

 

I don't think its obvious at all.. Holmes in 1988 was fresh out of retirement, whereas in 1992, he was preped for a comeback campaign, better trained and fighting actively. The Holmes who fought Mercer was better prepared for competing at the world level than the 1988 version was, despite being 4 years older... In addition, while the Tyson who fought Lewis in 2002 was woeful, he still went 8 rounds with a much more formidable opponent than a 40+ Holmes and even staggered him once... Tyson was also easily dispatching men like Golata around this general time frame.. As for an 88' Holmes beating a 2002 Lewis, I don't think its happening..

 

tyson is my number 10.
1.louis
2.ali
3.marciano
4dempsey
5holmes
6johnson
7lennox lewis
8hollyfield
9foreman
10tyson
unlike the guys i have ahead of him tyson ended up geting KAYOED by more linear champs than he beat.