Who could beat Mike Tyson in his prime?

Mike Weaver and Alfredo Evangelista and Sonny Banks are on my Mount Rushmore of heavyweights

 

Tunney would box circles around McBride. False equivalency.

You need to learn your history. Dempsey had no qualms fighting blacks. Doc Kearns drew up the color line for publicity. The public didn't want a black champion after Johnson. Doc knew allowing all comers would cause outrage from whites who didn't want the risk of a man like Harry Wills or George Godfrey getting a title shot

It's true a young Dempsey was afraid of prime Langford but by the time Dempsey came into his own Langford was past it and losing frequently to Harry Wills. He was no longer the #1 contender. No need to fight him at that point.

Demspey was never afraid of Wills. Langford quoted that Dempsey would have to be favored if they fought. Shot Dempsey beat Jack Sharkey, whom beat Wills. If they had fought in 1919 Demspey would've blown him out of the ring


Great final comment bro. I'll have this one be mine as well

 

Lol no he didn't

 

Imo, of who would beat 88 Tyson:

58 Liston
67 Ali
73 Foreman
92 Bowe
97 Lewis

50-50s with 80 Holmes and 71 Frazier.

There's a few more who could, Holyfield and Louis for example, but I wouldn't make them favourite.

 

I hiighly doubt a walk forward face first punch bag with no defence and a tendency to cut makes 18 minutes against a prime Iron Mike.

 

Fulton, Morris, Brennan, Firpo

 

Lmao. That compares to Bruno, Lewis, Holyfield and Ruddock does it?
It must tear you up that past it Golota was better than those.

Neither you or Seamus actually went into how the fight goes down. Both make good points and I don't completely agree with either of you.
Imo, both come forward to attack and Dempsey finds his style is less effective against someone so fluid and seemless who was smaller. Tyson (or more like Rooney) realises that he can't stay at mid range for too long coz Dempsey would get closer and work inside. Here Dempsey would land some good punches and prove to be more than Tyson's usual opposition, Tyson's hook/uppercut would hurt Dempsey and start to wear him down in this short war. However well Dempsey does inside needs to be taken with a grain of salt, as Tyson would be doing much more at midrange, Tyson (who definitely is quicker) would do what he normally did and start opening up Dempsey by switching stances, finding home with big counters that would shake Dempsey to his boots, Tyson would keep doing this and using his physical strength advantage to force Dempsey back and finish him on the ropes.

Another thing not been mentioned is the height difference, Tyson would be fighting at his most comfortable and Dempsey on the otherhand wouldn't have his ducking and swarming advantages, he also wouldn't be working at his best inside due to being taller. Tyson would get under Dempsey's arms and would be far more comfortable shifting between ranges than Dempsey would have, meaning Tyson would be in optimal position to exploit openings before Dempsey.

 

Your overrating Tyson big time. Hollyfield's a bad style matchup for any version of Tyson i'd also favour Louis and give Foreman a good chance as i do Lewis.

 

Good post. Dempsey is still faster tho. If there was more film of his 1918-1919 form I feel like you guys would agree with me easier. He was described as fast as a Middleweight during his training and he was moving like he weighed as much as a feather when he was looking for angles against Willard.

Also Carl Morris vs Andrew Golota is one of my dream fights for the incredulous amounts of cheating that'd occur. I think Fulton is a notch above him, if for nothing but consistency.

 

I think if you watched Prime Mike more, you'd see why we don't.

 

Ive rewatched Tyson vs Berbick more times than you've taken a ****

 

Then your delusional. Tyson is quicker.
How many tines have you seen Tyson vs Tubbs, Holmes, Spinks or Biggs?

Coz Dempsey definitely ain't quicker.

 

I feel as though you've watched the slower Dempsey of Tunney and Firpo too often

I'm telling you Dempsey was freaky lightning quick, top 5 heavyweight speed quick

 

I've watched Dempsey vs Willard more times than I've took a ****.
I've seen snippets of Him vs Brennan and Carpentier a few times as well.