how good was Mike Tyson?

[AirBonner]

I missed much of his career since I was so young. Looking back at some clips the dude was an ANIMAL. I recall him talking about past fights and breaking his opponents spirit. Shit was powerful. I think he had one of if not the strongest prime of any boxer.

https://youtu.be/FWeD5KXx5WI

[Lebron23]

Very good boxer. It sucked that he wasted his prime in Jail. He didn't rape that black American beauty queen.

[FillJackson]

I missed much of his career since I was so young. Looking back at some clips the dude was an ANIMAL. I recall him talking about past fights and breaking his opponents spirit. Shit was powerful. I think he had one of if not the strongest prime of any boxer.

https://youtu.be/FWeD5KXx5WI

He was very good, explosively fast, but he dominated during a weak era.

He built his record facing a long line of stiffs without defensive skills.

If you were going to let Tyson hit you, you weren't going last long.

The era of Big Heavyweights that followed exposed a lot of weaknesses in his game. Buster Douglas was 6'4" and if you were tall with a good jab, you could do a good job of neutralizing him. You had to stop him from coming at you and a strong jab and a good reach was a big help.

The Buster Douglas upset was before he went to jail and when he should still have been in his prime. He was only 24 years old.

He was supposed to fight Holyfield before he went to jail, but the fight was cancelled. I think Holyfield would have beaten him in that fight.

Note how the uppercut that finished him was preceded by several jabs.

[DonDadda59]

He was very good, but he dominated during a weak era.

He built his record facing a long line of stiffs without defensive skills.

If you were going to let Tyson hit you, you weren't going last long.

The era of Big Heavyweights that followed exposed a lot of weaknesses in his game. Buster Douglas was 6'4" and if you were tall with a good jab, you could do a good job of neutralizing him.

Precisely. Reason why he was dominated and KO'ed by Douglas, Holyfield, Lewis and avoided Bowe like he was patient zero.

[iamgine]

There are two school of thoughts when it comes to Mike Tyson

One said he was the combination of speed, power, skill, defense and ferocity never seen before or after. The death of his mentor affected him greatly and he began to neglect his training and started doing a lot of drugs. He neglected the combinations which made him so dangerous and started headhunting more and more. He would still win because he was that good but it eventually caught up with him when Buster beat him.

The other said he lacked the ability to really fight against the best and only dominated relatively mediocre boxers. The proof is in his loss against Buster, Holyfield and Lewis. He was too hyped up too early and people only love him because he gave them exciting KOs. A lot of flash with little substance.

[You Cant Ban Me]

good fighter with solid defense.One of the best heavyweights ever. top 15

[Sarcastic]

GOAT knockout artist.

I think had Cus D'Amato not died when he did, and stayed in his life, his career would have ended very differently. Don King ruined him, as he ruins just about everything he touches.

[MintBerryCrunch]

Very good.

[Thorpesaurous]

I'm not sure how weak the era was, as opposed to it just ran small at the time. There really should be a weight class for Heavyweight that has a cap on it, then some kind of superheavyweight type of division, which I know they do in wrestling at the HS level now. Holyfield really fits in that category as well.

He had some benefits against the bigger guys too. He was one of the few guys who could get inside their arms, move his head enough to be a tough target to find, and was willing and able to do real damage to the body. But overall compared to the guys who started coming right after him, like Lewis, Bowe, and even the lesser guys, he's just not a comparably sized athlete. And then the Klitchko's come along not long after at 6-9 or so. It's just a different thing.

He's a hard guy to judge, because the general public overrated him for so long, that the insider crowd probably started to underrate him on balance. His style, and probably his legacy as well, is probably comparable to Joe Frazier, another smaller, hook throwing strong guy. Difference is one was considered an underdog while the other was always the favorite.

[warriorfan]

Was one of the most raw talented boxers of all time

If D'Mato doesn't die and keeps Tyson on track the sky is the limit

If anyone is interested in Tyson they should check out the documentary that was produced by Carmelo Anthony, I believe it's called Tyson, not 100% though

[DonDadda59]

GOAT knockout artist.

Julian Jackson>

I think had Cus D'Amato not died when he did, and stayed in his life, his career would have ended very differently. Don King ruined him, as he ruins just about everything he touches.

With or without Cus, Iron Mike still gets KTFO by Evander and Lennox. He still avoids Bowe using the best frans excuse.

[andgar923]

Im no boxing expert so I don't know if his career would be the same with or without Cus' death.

But I have yet to see so much hype for any athlete, and very few people are in the same league.

Whatever hype there is around Kim and Ye, Drake, Bron, etc.etc. It doesn't compare to prime Tyson's.

[bdreason]

I was raised on Mike Tyson, but he probably has the weakest resume of any all-time great Boxer that I can think of.

[Thorpesaurous]

Part of the problem with Tyson is that while a guy like Lennox Lewis, or George Foreman, were almost certainly better boxers, Tyson just put a much more appealing product out there.

Tony Kornheiser talks all the time about in his whole career covering sports, there was no event as captivating as a Mike Tyson fight. I just don't know how to measure something like that.

[FillJackson]

There are two school of thoughts when it comes to Mike Tyson

One said he was the combination of speed, power, skill, defense and ferocity never seen before or after. The death of his mentor affected him greatly and he began to neglect his training and started doing a lot of drugs. He neglected the combinations which made him so dangerous and started headhunting more and more. He would still win because he was that good but it eventually caught up with him when Buster beat him.

The other said he lacked the ability to really fight against the best and only dominated relatively mediocre boxers. The proof is in his loss against Buster, Holyfield and Lewis. He was too hyped up too early and people only love him because he gave them exciting KOs. A lot of flash with little substance.

I subscribe to both these schools.