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Prime Mike Tyson was about as close as you could get to an unbeatable fighter. He had lightning fast hands, great head movement, relentless pressure, and could knock you out with either hand.
Is there any fighter in history who you would favor over a prime Tyson? I'd say Vitali Klitschko. He was tall, rangy, awkward, had a granite chin, and had a high workrate for his size.
Prime Mike Tyson was about as close as you could get to an unbeatable fighter. He had lightning fast hands, great head movement, relentless pressure, and could knock you out with either hand.
Is there any fighter in history who you would favor over a prime Tyson? I'd say Vitali Klitschko. He was tall, rangy, awkward, had a granite chin, and had a high workrate for his size.
Vitali Klitchko???
You're kidding, right? In his prime, Tyson would have chewed him up and spit 'em out in less than 10.
The only "Throwback" Heavyweight Boxer I'd give a slight chance against Mike Tyson [in his prime] would be Ernie Shavers due to his above average strength.
Regardless, let's not forget, it was one determined Buster Douglas who beat an "unbeatable" Mike Tyson, possibly towards the tail end of his prime.
I'd favor a prime Muhammad Ali over Tyson or anyone else.
If you look at the attributes of the men who beat Tyson, Ali has them all - long reach, the ability to take murderous punishment, ability to hang around and extend the fight until his opponent was worn out (which hurt Tyson, because he lacked stamina), the ability to move while delivering constant punishment, and fearlessness. Tyson didn't have much heart; he had a hard time beating a man who wasn't scared to death of him, and Ali feared nobody.
I think Ali would have controlled Tyson without much trouble. If he could handle the power of Sonny Liston, Joe Frazier, George Foreman, and the Acorn, Tyson wouldn't have been anything special.
If you look at the attributes of the men who beat Tyson, Ali has them all - long reach, the ability to take murderous punishment, ability to hang around and extend the fight until his opponent was worn out (which hurt Tyson, because he lacked stamina), the ability to move while delivering constant punishment, and fearlessness. Tyson didn't have much heart; he had a hard time beating a man who wasn't scared to death of him, and Ali feared nobody.
I think Ali would have controlled Tyson without much trouble. If he could handle the power of Sonny Liston, Joe Frazier, George Foreman, and the Acorn, Tyson wouldn't have been anything special.
Exactly right. Most of those who are awed by Tyson are too young to have seen how devastating Ali was in his prime.
Though he could overwhelm most opponents with his physical quickness and power, Ali's greatest asset was his mind. He could think circles around even those few who may otherwise have had a chance. That's what made his fights such an awesome entertainment experience.
What a great era that was. Most of his fights outside of the ones against the biggest names were on TV....and I never missed one for the world.
The heavyweight division during Tyson's prime was a joke, he had an easy road full of tomato cans and has beens. Giving Tyson credit though, for a 5'10" 215 lb fighter he was the best ever - no other heavyweight close to his size is in the same galaxy. Against quality much bigger opponents in their primes like Lewis, Foreman, the Klitchkos - a prime Tyson doesn't stand a chance. To give up 6"+ in height, 40 lbs+ in weight, and 12”+ in reach is just ridiculous.
Lewis was older than Tyson when he thoroughly kicked his butt, so I don't buy this whole Tyson in his prime is unbeatable nonsense. He was great at dispatching mediocre opponents regardless of size, and that is his claim to fame. Aside from a Holmes coming out of retirement for one last payday, Tyson lost to the only other "great" fighters he ever faced. And both Holyfield and Lewis were older than Tyson, so don't bring the argument that Tyson was past his prime - so were they.
Last edited by winston196; 07-06-2019 at 10:27 AM..
Tyson is overrated. He fought scrubs. Not his fault but the hand he was dealt most of his career. He lost every fight against quality opposition.
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