Would Mike Tyson have become the greatest heavyweight of all time without prison and his demons?

He wouldn't. If rated as some of the greatest, he's far from the top positions. But there is no such thing as "the greatest one".

 

Probably not. But hypothetically let's say he beat Holy in 91, Bowe in 92 and Lewis you could definitely make a case for him.

 

Prison did him the world of good. He’d of probably been dead by ‘95.

He was lucky to survive the suicide attempt in Sept 88.

 

Yes. He most very likely could have went down as the greatest heavyweight ever had he stayed straight and disciplined.

 

No. But he would have been champ longer without all the hoopla probably a couple more years until he met up with Bowe or Lewis in 92. Actually I think Lewis became much more dangerous after that year, so I'd have to bet on Bowe taking it then. I don't think the raging fire of 80s Mike could have held out past 92, I think anyone with that ferocity burns out relatively quickly. Look at Frazier (and in this instance I think the comparison is justified).

That said, I think he would have made at least another 5 or 6 defenses, probably mostly real good competition. Probably would have beaten the come-backing Foreman hard.

I think it's quite possible he could have decisioned Holy in the early 90s, though I'm not sure I'd bet on it. I'm thinking perhaps a trilogy with Mike winning the first, then Holy taking the other two, the last by TKO.

Mike would probably have solidified his place in the top 4 or 5 ATGs had he held on a couple of more years.

 

yes, if he remained undefeated and broke Marciano's record by a few fights

say Rooney is his trainer and corner, I think in this scenario Tyson would have been able to finish Douglas in the next round after the uppercut

no trilogies but rematches, if he beats Holyfield, Bowe, and Lewis all twice

 

Mike Tyson was good because of his demons. Desperation breeds ferocity. Cornered dog mentality!

 

Without his demons he would have been Evander Holyfield.

 

That was not a suicide attempt, as Tyson & others said. Look it up, that has long been debunked.
But he was screwed up for sure.

 

Not having his demons would be a double edged sword for Tyson. Yes, as time went on he would have benefitted in and out of the ring from not having drugs, marital woes, Cus D'Amato's death and the innumerable hangers on who infiltrated and infested his life.

However, to be clear, you can't have the good without the bad. His childhood produced the demons which were just exacerbated by money and fame. If he did not have the dark side already in him when he became a fighter the chances are excellent he would not have had the seek and destroy, single minded, steamroller attitude and fighting style that dominated boxing in the late 1980s.

All in all, Tyson would not have been the great fighter he was if it were not for his personal demons.

 

No, because I don’t think he’d have been the force he was in the ring without those demons.

 

I don't think Mike Tyson would be the greatest, but he would improve his place on the ATG list.

 

Not to be glib but the premise, with so many variables and modifications called in, could almost read: “What if Mike Tyson wasn’t Mike Tyson?”

Besides that, if the deficient gaps are puttied up for Mike, you would then have to do it for all other ATGs otherwise what’s the point of comparing them? What if Ali wasn’t exiled for 3.5 years?…etc, etc.

Psychology and mental disciplines are as much a part of a boxer’s armoury as anything else - and as others have highlighted, the very same psyche Mike benefitted from also bit him on the a**.

It might seem one and the same but Mike’s acute fear of losing was a more negative outlook than a boxer maintaining the determination to win every time out. The latter fighters will better accept their losses and simply go again.

Tyson himself said the loss to Douglas removed a burden from his shoulders - breaking the stress of delivering the perfect performance and allowed him to be humanised.

Perhaps it also broke the defining competitive edge Mike held in fierce protection of his unbeaten record - his first loss fated to have the bubble bursting effect - effects which fighters like Louis and Ali averted by absorbing their losses even handedly into their psyches making them even greater fighters who came back to thrive at the top once again.

 

So much of it depends on whether you think, under this ideal scenario, he could come out on top over time vs Lewis and Holyfield. You can perhaps add Bowe to that tho from memory they were pals and said they'd never fight.