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Would Mike Tyson have had sustained success against today's Super Heavy weights?

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  • #102
    robfowler78
    Registered Users Posts: 931 ✭✭✭robfowler78


    walshb wrote: »
    Well, Mike was a HW (200 lbs) as an amateur and Holyfield was at 178 lbs in LA 1984. Tyson was every bit as big if not naturally bigger than Evander in the 1980s. Evander had a height advantage, but Mike was a solid 215-220 lbs aged 19 and 20. Holyfield when he won the belt was no more than 210, and against Bowe in fight 1 he was just over 200 lbs I think.

    LL peak weight was between 230-245 lbs. He would have a weight advantage but when does he use it against Tyson apart from the inside close exchanges.

    LL to win needs to keep the jab in Mike's face and keep Mike at long range. Problem being that LL jab was not all that fast, and could definitely be read and timed by Mike to get inside with a KO shot(s)

    All agreed with but Tyson as a youth was a bit of a genetic freak. He was bulky and strong but that only made up for some of the other height and reach disadvantages that he had. When people compare him to today's heavyweights it's like comparing two different divisions heavyweights today are almost super heavyweight.


  • #103
    titan18
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 12,014 ✭✭✭✭titan18


    Vitali is only one who beats peak Tyson from fighters over the last 20 years. Iron chin, good feet for a man his size and a lethal jab. Add that to him being so much bigger and a very smart fighter, and I'm not sure Tyson beats him


  • #104
    normanoffside
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 10,139 ✭✭✭✭normanoffside


    titan18 wrote: »
    Vitali is only one who beats peak Tyson from fighters over the last 20 years. Iron chin, good feet for a man his size and a lethal jab. Add that to him being so much bigger and a very smart fighter, and I'm not sure Tyson beats him

    And yet unfit retirement bound Lewis beat prime Vitali....I know the arguments ( he was up on points etc) but fat old Lewis beat up a fit prime Vitali on 2 weeks notice.

    I know styles make fights etc but Prime Lewis was streets ahead of prime Vitali imo.
    I also think a young lewis had very chance of stopping a young Tyson. His destruction of the same Razor Ruddock that gave Tyson fits really shows he could pinch with the best of them when necessary.


  • #105
    walshb
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 56,729 ✭✭✭✭walshb


    Razor and Mike were nothing alike. LL got Razor out in a couple rds. We saw very little from Lewis. Razor fights tall, and was right in Lewis's range..got hit and couldn't take. That was the long and short of it.

    Mike at peak was shorter and more difficult to both jab and nail clean. Plus his chin was granite. Nothing like Razor...


  • #106
    titan18
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 12,014 ✭✭✭✭titan18


    normanoffside wrote: »
    And yet unfit retirement bound Lewis beat prime Vitali....I know the arguments ( he was up on points etc) but fat old Lewis beat up a fit prime Vitali on 2 weeks notice.

    I know styles make fights etc but Prime Lewis was streets ahead of prime Vitali imo.
    I also think a young lewis had very chance of stopping a young Tyson. His destruction of the same Razor Ruddock that gave Tyson fits really shows he could pinch with the best of them when necessary.

    Vitali was winning that fight tbf and would have won imo. Lewis got lucky and not fighting Vitali after shows he knew he'd be beaten imo


  • #107
    normanoffside
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 10,139 ✭✭✭✭normanoffside


    titan18 wrote: »
    Vitali was winning that fight tbf and would have won imo. Lewis got lucky and not fighting Vitali after shows he knew he'd be beaten imo

    That's opinion.

    The fact is Vitali was 4-2 up on the cards but Lewis was coming on strong and was landing bombs. He was unfit and past his prime and in his last fight but was in there with prime Vitali and was more than competitive.

    Stopping a man on cuts due to punches is also a valid way to win a fight btw!


  • #108
    Maravilla33
    Registered Users Posts: 524 ✭✭✭Maravilla33


    normanoffside wrote: »
    And yet unfit retirement bound Lewis beat prime Vitali....I know the arguments ( he was up on points etc) but fat old Lewis beat up a fit prime Vitali on 2 weeks notice.

    I know styles make fights etc but Prime Lewis was streets ahead of prime Vitali imo.
    I also think a young lewis had very chance of stopping a young Tyson. His destruction of the same Razor Ruddock that gave Tyson fits really shows he could pinch with the best of them when necessary.

    Sadly there was never an ideal time for Tyson and Lewis to meet despite being roughly the same age. Their best years never overlapped and the fact Mike was a straight out of the blocks early peaker and Lewis really got better with age exaggerates this even further.

    They fight anytime before 1990 and Lewis is a novice who gets smashed imo. Anytime after Tyson gets out of jail and it's all in Lewis' favour. A young Lewis hadn't developed or honed his skills enough to be considered a favourite vs Tyson let alone knock him out. That's why when people talk about a fantasy prime vs prime match up it's always a young pre 90s Tyson vs an older Lewis. That's an interesting match up. One thing I know is that their actual match up means nothing.


  • #109
    Maravilla33
    Registered Users Posts: 524 ✭✭✭Maravilla33


    normanoffside wrote: »

    Stopping a man on cuts due to punches is also a valid way to win a fight btw!

    Also agree with this. Punching a man in the face until he's unable to continue isn't really getting lucky...


  • #110
    walshb
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 56,729 ✭✭✭✭walshb


    We know the cuts win was valid. I think people simply are asking "what if." And I think that's fair. Close hard fought tough fight. Very even. Remove the cuts and who knows..LL for me is overall a better boxer/fighter.


  • #111
    nacho libre
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 17,093 ✭✭✭✭nacho libre


    walshb wrote: »
    T
    You mentioned his bout with Lewis in 2002 when he must have been close to 36 or so, as well as having had a fairly long career up until that point, with a few years of inactivity due to jail time.

    That was a well past his best Tyson....

    But, peak Tyson vs. peak Lewis. I'd take Tyson. I don't have enough confidence in LL chin. Tyson's chin was grade A. LL has to win on points, and that means not getting whacked clean for 12 rds. I cannot see that happening. Tyson KO within 5 rds or so. Tyson's far faster feet and hands in the 1980s allows him to get in close enough to land wicked power shots that LL will not take.

    Lewis was not at his peak by that stage either, but i saw enough to give me confidence a prime Lewis beats a prime Tyson. I think Lennox would stop Mike getting inside with his superior size, decent head movement and effective use of his reach and fast jabs. Lennox would likely avoid mike's big shots , and end up with a tko victory late on due to the cumulative effect of his hurtful jabs
    I feel Lennox was the best heavyweight of the last 30 years. No wonder Bowe ducked the rematch from the Olympics.


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