Why was Tyson's prime so early?

I still defy anyone to present a better run by a heavyweight than Tyson had from 86 to 89. If that flame had to burn briefly, it did burn bright.

 

He fought in he worst era of heavyweight boxing, once the fighters got better he lost.

 

It's right up there. :thumbsup

I think the unifying of the fragmented titles kind of goes under the bridge sometimes. It's probably the only way Douglas, Holyfield and Bowe ever attain 'undisputed' status. It became a particularly difficult feat when a third sanctioning body came into the fold and it became a requirement to have it in order to attain 'World' title. In the lightweight division for example, Pernell Whitaker is the only fighter to manage it since the IBF was founded.. They won a fight. Tyson won three separate title bouts. Lennox was able to accomplish it, but let go of the WBA belt before he could make a defense as the World Champ.

 

^ I agree with all this. But we have to remember that one of the main aims of Cus D'amato teaching was to produce exciting fighters, who could draw big crowds. D'amato knew that an explosive KO-artist with blazing hands was box office gold, and that was part of his teaching. He didn't just want to produce great fighters, but ones that made the big money too ! Tyson understood all this too.

It's the D'amato disciples and ordinary Tyson fanboys who have elevated the purported effectiveness of "Cus D'amato system" to unrealistic levels.

 

Joe Louis, 1936 to 1948.

 

XPERT Post m8! :thumbsup I do 100% AGREE!! :deal

Peekaboo is v.overrated as a style, it is a mega waste of energy And unneeded headmovements. No matter how excessively Prime Tyson moved his head, he still got tagged even when winning every round, with clean punches as he charged forward to mostly bully his mostly scared opponents with haymaker swings. Prime Tyson of 1986-1991 got tagged as he was coming forward LOTS more than Prime Frazier of 1969-1973 did. Frazier had WAY more efficient/harder to hit bobin' And weavin' headmovements And did not waste energy with excess effort trying to look fancy like teh inefficient peekaboo style. :thumbsup


Foreman Hoooooooooooooooooook!:smoke

 

Interestingly, Tyson was a 'late entry' to Don King's plan to unify the titles.
Jacobs and Cayton really almost went with other options, but they couldn't pass up the chance of realising the dream to be "youngest champion ever".

The titles would have been unified anyway, without Tyson. I wonder who would have won ? Witherspoon probably would have been favourite, but imagining everything happens the same with Tyson existing, 'spoon lost to Smith. Berbick would have fought Pinklon Thomas again. Spinks probably would have stayed in the tournament. I wouldn't have been at all surprised if Spinks became undisputed champion, with Tyson waiting in the wings and taking on Holmes and/or Cooney instead.

 

Critics pointed out in Floyd Patterson's time that the so-called peek-a-boo defense didn't really work that well.

With Patterson it proved absolutely disastrous sometimes. But Tyson had a better chin that Floyd.

 

As his body physically matured,to it's fullest at an early age,20,he'd already reached an all time great level by 1986. As we know,he was at his very best by 1988,and was never so good again. We all know that it was loss of focus,disciplinre etc. He may have been able to have maintained this level for a few years longer,but I doubt whether he'd have actually got any better.

 

I think if he'd made better choices, he could have become better. I don't think he was a finished fighter in 1988 at all.
The only question is whether Kevin Rooney was really a good enough and knowledgeable enough trainer to carry on improving Tyson. Rooney was quite a young man and had his own demons too.

 

The prime Tyson did well,but he was always going to look good in the era he came up in. Fifteen years earlier,he'd have found it a lot tougher.

 

Tyson was a young, bulied, angry man, Damato took that fury and pain and brainwashed him to be a total killing machine. Which is what Tyson was. A bullied child who became a thug, straight off the streets into a boxing ring.

A few years later with Damatos influence gone, Millions in the bank, Silk PJ syndrome kicks in. The angers gone, no more bad intentions, now its all about $$$$, overconfidence sets in and then everything erupts in Tokyo.

Whether Damatos style was overrated or underrated is totally irrelevant to the topic. What is relevant is that this Peek a Boo Style within 2 years cemented Mike Tyson as one of the greatest, most popular (and richest) prize fighters of all time. And when he decided to flush this style away he became an easier target.

Tyson was a small man, in a big mans division, he simply couldnt afford to rest on his laurels. He NEEDED that style without that style, he was just a short, hard puncher with a chin. Tyson was 37-0 with the peekaboo style. Enough said.

Somebody earlier mentioned Tysons overrated defense? You need to keep off the crackpipe son.

 

And thats exactly why we hear the "If only Cus had lived" stories everytime Tyson is bought up.

The Machine is only as good as the programmer, Rooney was good, but he was no Damato.

 

Tyson didn't use the same peekaboo style once Rooney took over and Cus died. Rooney tweaked that style to incorporate more subtle head fakes.
Cus had a plan in place. He saw what Tyson brought to the table physically at such a young age so the plan was always to break Pattersons record. Rooney tried to set a similar plan with Marciano's record but he couldn't hold onto Tyson long enough.
Most fighters burnout once they've achieved sustained success. Tyson lost interest in boxing because of the monotony and because of that he never fulfilled his potential. Overrated defense in his prime is a complete joke whoever said that. He was hit cleanly twice in his entire main run. That's uncanny for a offensive only brawler.

 

Damato saved Tyson from a life of prison and poverty, plus he was a mental guru. He had complete control of Tyson mentally, but it took him a couple years to gain it. Tyson trusted Rooney in the ring, but Rooney didnt have the control over him that Cus had.