When exactly was Tyson's prime?

86-88.

 

86-91 was his prime, his absolute peak was 88'.

 

:huh He beat anyone that mattered in his prime years of November 1986 to February 1990...

He was hardly carefully matched.

With hindsight, I am no fan of Tyson, but even I can concede that he met all that mattered in his prime, with the possible exception of Terrible Tim. But that was in part, Witherspoon's own fault.

 

Spinks was scared?? cmon not this horse **** again. A lot of so called experts picked Spinks to win. He wasnt scared, he was just outclassed. As far as Tysons prime, I think that was the pinnacle of his fighting prime as he was no longer with the team that brought him to the top. I would say he was physically still a decent fighter up until the Golota fight, but his fighting prime peaked with Spinks and as its clear to see slowly got worse over the course of his career. There was a big difference in the fighter that fought Spinks, and the fighter that fought Ruddock, and even Golota for that matter.

 

'87-'88

 

I think if you put Tyson's performance against Savarese into a time capsule back to 1988, it wouldn't look out of place. As short as that fight was, which was very quick, it was awesome. The left hook that dropped Savarese was timed like a prime Tyson. The follow up assualt as well.

 

Are you serious? Spinks was deathly afraid. The later with experts has nothing to do with Spinks not being scared. It's probably Tyson's best win but let's not get carried away.

Tyson's prime was June 9th 1988 to June 12th 1988. Yes, I know because I remember from interviews how he was feeling his absolute best on those 3 days. So this must be his absolute peak. What a monster, not even Godzilla can beat him on this day. No other man beats him.

 

Spinks was scared against Tyson, and it wasn't the first time Spinks entered the ring scared. Spinks talked about having fear when he fought and how he used it to his advantage.

Unfortunately it's not easy for a slow starter like Spinks to be able to use it to his advantage when a young Tyson is all over you, hitting you with ridiculously fast and hard punches.

 

I thought Witherspoon didn't fight Tyson because he lost to Bonecrusher via 1st round TKO despite beating him decisively the first time around

 

I'd pick the Tyson of Biggs over the Tyson of Spinks anyday.

 

Yes, and a fued with DKP that cost him three years of his career and according to Tim a near £1 Million pay day (a dispute over the purse for his bout with Bruno).

 

Its so easy for you and everyone else to say that after the fact, but did you watch the lead up to the fight. Theres a reason there was such a tremendous buzz going into the fight. It wasnt because everyone though Tyson would KO spinks in 91 seconds. Theres plenty of prefight commentary on youtube, watch it and you'll see for yourself.

 

Do you like trying to act as if people don't know or didn't watch things? I've seen tons of Tyson and tons of the fight. I understand how Spinks was thought to beat Tyson by few. Mostly it was due to him being unorthodox. I get how it was supposed to be a close fight. I am not downing Tyson. But Spinks was scared shitless, saying otherwise is just laughable.

 

I agree but that is exactly the kind of pre fight comentry that old time fighters never get credit for because it is forgotten.

Most people thought Jim Jeffries was going to steamroll Jack Johnson.

Jack Dempsey was not going to loose to Jess Willard, he was going to get killed because he was too small.

Nobody today even gives them credit for the psychological disadvantages they were up against never mind winning the fight.