These days people love to shit on Tyson and praise old timers like Dempsey. Dempsey is a legend and deservedly so. He's a fighter's fighter. But Tyson, prime Tyson, was on track to being an all time great. Granted he faced a weak division, but he tore through it like a chainsaw through a stick of butter.
It's funny how the Spinks fight has become more about how Spinks folded than how great Tyson was. People forget that Spinks was undefeated, a gold medalist, and multi division champion. He was going to be a ring legend. And Tyson tore through him.
Praise Dempsey, but let's not forget how good Tyson really was 
nottheface - These days people love to shit on Tyson and praise old timers like Dempsey. Dempsey is a legend and deservedly so. He's a fighter's fighter. But Tyson, prime Tyson, was on track to being an all time great. Granted he faced a weak division, but he tore through it like a chainsaw through a stick of butter.
It's funny how the Spinks fight has become more about how Spinks folded than how great Tyson was. People forget that Spinks was undefeated, a gold medalist, and multi division champion. He was going to be a ring legend. And Tyson tore through him.
Praise Dempsey, but let's not forget how good Tyson really was
spinks is a poor example of greatness for several reasons. he didn't have the physical attributes to compete with a legit full size heavyweight.
based on what was seen of spinks in the holmes fights, the cooney fight and the tangstad fight, i can name 20 heavyweights across history, without going into the modern era of super heavies who would have beaten spinks in 2 rounds or less and would have destroyed him
there is not a single guy that 'prime' tyson beat that joe frazier would not have also tore through. liston, norton, shavers, tua, lyle, foreman, quarry, witherspoon, weaver, ibeabuchi, morrison
those guys would have also knocked out in spectacular fashion, every single guy priime 87-88 tyson beat. they would have also looked just as legendary. and all of them would have also beat buster douglas
when you put it into that perspective, that guys who didn't even win the title in their era would have looked like supermen as well against the guys he faced, tyson isn't as impressive as his legend
the guys i named were guys who would have knocked out all those guys. when you factor in guys who would have beat them all. like ali, holmes, byrd, holyfield, lennox, dokes, it really makes you wonder how good tyson really was.
frazier would have tore through every tyson opponent, including douglas and ruddock. the lack of a right and the way he didn't jab and dipped for that hybrid hook he threw and frazier would have ate ruddock up. the way he carried that right he was wide open for crisp hooks and he could be timed on that dip shot. thats why morrison and lennox disposed of him. but he's one of tyson's toughest wins
hwoever i will say this about tyson, his win against berbick was impressive and to me his best win. berbick wasn' very good, but he was physiically strong a legit full size heavy and tough as nails and had been in big fights and wasn't scared of tyson and came at tyson to fight
tyson blew him out. that was his greatest win over a legit fighter.
pharochuck -Tyson-Morrison was going to be made but Tommy tested positive for AIDS. It would've been a cracking fight. Tommy had A power like Tyson. He actually probably punched harder. He was a spectacular puncher with that left hook of his and his overhand right. Like when he KO'd Terrell. He was really fucking good when he was on. Great body puncher.nottheface - These days people love to shit on Tyson and praise old timers like Dempsey. Dempsey is a legend and deservedly so. He's a fighter's fighter. But Tyson, prime Tyson, was on track to being an all time great. Granted he faced a weak division, but he tore through it like a chainsaw through a stick of butter.
It's funny how the Spinks fight has become more about how Spinks folded than how great Tyson was. People forget that Spinks was undefeated, a gold medalist, and multi division champion. He was going to be a ring legend. And Tyson tore through him.
Praise Dempsey, but let's not forget how good Tyson really was
spinks is a poor example of greatness for several reasons. he didn't have the physical attributes to compete with a legit full size heavyweight.
based on what was seen of spinks in the holmes fights, the cooney fight and the tangstad fight, i can name 20 heavyweights across history, without going into the modern era of super heavies who would have beaten spinks in 2 rounds or less and would have destroyed him
there is not a single guy that 'prime' tyson beat that joe frazier would not have also tore through. liston, norton, shavers, tua, lyle, foreman, quarry, witherspoon, weaver, ibeabuchi, morrison
those guys would have also knocked out in spectacular fashion, every single guy priime 87-88 tyson beat. they would have also looked just as legendary. and all of them would have also beat buster douglas
when you put it into that perspective, that guys who didn't even win the title in their era would have looked like supermen as well against the guys he faced, tyson isn't as impressive as his legend
the guys i named were guys who would have knocked out all those guys. when you factor in guys who would have beat them all. like ali, holmes, byrd, holyfield, lennox, dokes, it really makes you wonder how good tyson really was.
frazier would have tore through every tyson opponent, including douglas and ruddock. the lack of a right and the way he didn't jab and dipped for that hybrid hook he threw and frazier would have ate ruddock up. the way he carried that right he was wide open for crisp hooks and he could be timed on that dip shot. thats why morrison and lennox disposed of him. but he's one of tyson's toughest wins
He had the best left hook I've ever seen. Better than Frazier's and Cooney's. He could hit it at any angle with devastating power and speed
morrison's hook was a thing of beauty
i hung out with michael bentt right after morrison died. felt he was the biggest waste of talent ever. said with his talent, morrision could have easily became the face of boxing. morrison had the family legacy, the looks and most of all he had flat out talent. he said even with not truly giving a shit the guy blew more opportunities than anyone else.
said 'i knocked his ass out. and no one gave a shit, they only wanted to know how he would come back from this' he had very little sympathy. said morrison was damn good and could have been so much better. he felt morrison could have been an all time great if he would have skipped a party or two
pharochuck -
morrison's hook was a thing of beauty
i hung out with michael bentt right after morrison died. felt he was the biggest waste of talent ever. said with his talent, morrision could have easily became the face of boxing. morrison had the family legacy, the looks and most of all he had flat out talent. he said even with not truly giving a shit the guy blew more opportunities than anyone else.
said 'i knocked his ass out. and no one gave a shit, they only wanted to know how he would come back from this' he had very little sympathy. said morrison was damn good and could have been so much better. he felt morrison could have been an all time great if he would have skipped a party or two
Tommy was more legendary in the back of his limo than he was in the ring. Mercer took his fresh shots in the first and second and kept coming. Tommy didn't know what to do with the kind of guy who could take his best and fire back.
Mercer and Morrison both had a tendency to show up to their biggest fights out of shape. Atlas said that when guys do that, they don't really want to be champ. Atlas says a lot of things.
Tommy had that ugly win over Old George. I'm not sure Tyson wins that fight.
My issue with Mike, and I'm a Brooklyn guy—and am obligated to defend Tyson is: it's impossible to know how good he really was. He looked great on the pads,and against bums, but so did Joe Messi. Tyson never even beat a B level HW. Tyson never came back from being down on points. Tyson at his best never really fought a guy who fought back. They either fell over as soon as it was convenient, were grossly overmatched, were scared to death, or were content to jab and hold their way to a decision.
Berbick, Tucker, and I-guess-Ruddock, were his biggest wins. And that's not saying a lot. That's Marciano bad. Holmes at least beat Norton, Shavers, and Cooney.
Look at the problems Buster Douglas caused for Mike. Now, imagine that's Lennox, or Bowe, or Vitali, or Ike, or even Shannon Fucking Briggs. Mike ducked a Battle for Brooklyn with Briggs, who was never a world beater. Mike turned down $20m for Foreman. Mike paid Lewis $4m in step-aside money to get the Holyfield fight.
Briggs was an under achiever, but style wise, he would have been a bad matchup for Tyson. Even 'prime' Tyson. If Mitch green can go 10 and bonecrusher just tie him up the whole fight as well as tucker
Briggs was a world better than those guys. Tucker had a decent skill set, I think Briggs was better.
I've always disliked Briggs. I thought he was overrated as fuck. Old George beat the shit out of him but they robbed him. Not that he was a bad fighter but he thought of as the next big thing.
pharochuck -I think he should be in the HOF. I think he's one of the most underrated guys ever. He beat Foreman,Thomas,Hipp,Razor,The Truth,Art Tucker,Bobby Quarry,Jaco,Tillis,Dokes and a few others. Most via KO. He was beating the shit out of Mercer but gassed.
morrison's hook was a thing of beauty
i hung out with michael bentt right after morrison died. felt he was the biggest waste of talent ever. said with his talent, morrision could have easily became the face of boxing. morrison had the family legacy, the looks and most of all he had flat out talent. he said even with not truly giving a shit the guy blew more opportunities than anyone else.
said 'i knocked his ass out. and no one gave a shit, they only wanted to know how he would come back from this' he had very little sympathy. said morrison was damn good and could have been so much better. he felt morrison could have been an all time great if he would have skipped a party or two
He would've never beaten Lennox but he could've been the 2nd best of that era with his talent. 42/48 wins via KO. The dude could fucking crack. Mercer had a god level chin,he's another guy should've been better. Gold medalist in 88
Rogan is correct
gregor o connor -of course he would. dempsey only fought white men.
name the credible black challenger that he didn't fight. he was in an era where most of the top black guys were in the decline
the greatest at holding the color line was jack johnson
Dempsey would've beaten the fuck out of Harry Wills. Wills was a really good fighter helluva puncher but Dempsey was a pure animal. Jack would've mauled him but that doesn't mean Harry wasn't an excellent fighter,because he was.
Nothing to do with race,race doesn't cross my mind when I discuss boxing and pick winners. Jack was simply a better harder punching fighter with an unmatched ferociousness.
Tyson never beat a man who didn't fear him. Jack Dempsey would give no fucks having to fight Mike Tyson.
Tyson never came back to win a fight.
Jack got knocked out of the ring, and still got the KO.
That says something
pharochuck -Harry wills. Dude went like 8 years undefeated during dempseys reign.gregor o connor -of course he would. dempsey only fought white men.
name the credible black challenger that he didn't fight. he was in an era where most of the top black guys were in the decline
the greatest at holding the color line was jack johnson
Bobby Lupo - Tyson never beat a man who didn't fear him. Jack Dempsey would give no fucks having to fight Mike Tyson.vs Botha
Tyson never came back to win a fight.
Jack got knocked out of the ring, and still got the KO.
That says something
I don't understand this whole Tyson had no heart thing. He took an ass whooping from Douglas and came back and knocked him down in the 8th and should've won and took a lot of abuse from Lennox and never quit. He took some bombs from Ruddock and kept coming.
He quit vs McBride but he was so far beyond shot I don't even count it.
Bearhugger -Wills boxed 537 rounds in his career, 210 of those rounds were against Sam Langford.pharochuck -Harry wills. Dude went like 8 years undefeated during dempseys reign.gregor o connor -of course he would. dempsey only fought white men.
name the credible black challenger that he didn't fight. he was in an era where most of the top black guys were in the decline
the greatest at holding the color line was jack johnson
They just kept throwing Sam back in with Wills who took him to deaths doorstep on a few occasions.
The black panther was legit.
Is Rogan a boxer
Stern -Look up teddy atlas explanation of a term called 'game quitter'Bobby Lupo - Tyson never beat a man who didn't fear him. Jack Dempsey would give no fucks having to fight Mike Tyson.vs Botha
Tyson never came back to win a fight.
Jack got knocked out of the ring, and still got the KO.
That says something
I don't understand this whole Tyson had no heart thing. He took an ass whooping from Douglas and came back and knocked him down in the 8th and should've won and took a lot of abuse from Lennox and never quit. He took some bombs from Ruddock and kept coming.
He quit vs McBride but he was so far beyond shot I don't even count it.