Mike Tyson fans

[theboyfold]

Before it all went wrong for him, he was something else:

http://coedmagazine.com/2009/04/17/the-11-most-pai...

Enjoy

[ZR1cliff]

The final round in the Larry Holmes v Tyson fight shows the awesome power of Tyson. Holmes, 38 years old, experienced, taller and with a longer reach is destroyed by the incredible punching power of Tyson, who was a mere 21 years old at the time.
Excellent!! thanks for the reminder.

[theboyfold]

It's interesting the commentary in that Homes fight, the commentator is so much fonder of Holmes, the way he refers to him has 'Larry'.

[Colin_147]

Very few sportsmen captured the imagination of sports fans the way he did.

Doubt another ever will, certainly of my lifetime

[Nobaccymaccy]

ZR1cliff said:

The final round in the Larry Holmes v Tyson fight shows the awesome power of Tyson. Holmes, 38 years old, experienced, taller and with a longer reach is destroyed by the incredible punching power of Tyson, who was a mere 21 years old at the time.
Excellent!! thanks for the reminder.

But what would have been the outcome had he fought Holmes when Holmes was in his prime ?- I give you Foreman- Ali as an example ( and Ali was past his best even then )

[Colin_147]

Nobaccymaccy said:

ZR1cliff said:

The final round in the Larry Holmes v Tyson fight shows the awesome power of Tyson. Holmes, 38 years old, experienced, taller and with a longer reach is destroyed by the incredible punching power of Tyson, who was a mere 21 years old at the time.
Excellent!! thanks for the reminder.

But what would have been the outcome had he fought Holmes when Holmes was in his prime ?- I give you Foreman- Ali as an example ( and Ali was past his best even then )

He would still have got KO'd imho. Very few, if any, could live with Tyson at this stage of his career

[Nobaccymaccy]

Colin_147 said:

Nobaccymaccy said:

ZR1cliff said:

The final round in the Larry Holmes v Tyson fight shows the awesome power of Tyson. Holmes, 38 years old, experienced, taller and with a longer reach is destroyed by the incredible punching power of Tyson, who was a mere 21 years old at the time.
Excellent!! thanks for the reminder.

But what would have been the outcome had he fought Holmes when Holmes was in his prime ?- I give you Foreman- Ali as an example ( and Ali was past his best even then )

He would still have got KO'd imho. Very few, if any, could live with Tyson at this stage of his career

Exactly what was said about Foreman - especially after his demolitions of Norton and Frazier .

[Colin_147]

Nobaccymaccy said:

Colin_147 said:

Nobaccymaccy said:

ZR1cliff said:

The final round in the Larry Holmes v Tyson fight shows the awesome power of Tyson. Holmes, 38 years old, experienced, taller and with a longer reach is destroyed by the incredible punching power of Tyson, who was a mere 21 years old at the time.
Excellent!! thanks for the reminder.

But what would have been the outcome had he fought Holmes when Holmes was in his prime ?- I give you Foreman- Ali as an example ( and Ali was past his best even then )

He would still have got KO'd imho. Very few, if any, could live with Tyson at this stage of his career

Exactly what was said about Foreman - especially after his demolitions of Norton and Frazier .

I guess thats the beauty of boxing debates. I would love to have seen certain fighters fight each other in their primes. Sadly it is not possible with fighters from different era's. These outcome of said fights will differ in opinion all the time

[DJC]

Tyson at 21 was something else altogether. He had the perfect combinations that youth gives you...confidence, exuberence, an innocent joy in what you are doing and your skills, speed, reactions and he listened to the advice he was given by someone he respected. The result was a perfect fighting machine.

In my humble, not enough respect is given to the one guy who lived with Tyson at his best...James "Bonecrusher" Smith and the Bonecrusher had to use all his ring knowledge and experience to survive and the fact that he was as hard as bloody nails and could take Tysons' shots.

[theboyfold]

Colin_147 said:

Nobaccymaccy said:

Colin_147 said:

Nobaccymaccy said:

ZR1cliff said:

The final round in the Larry Holmes v Tyson fight shows the awesome power of Tyson. Holmes, 38 years old, experienced, taller and with a longer reach is destroyed by the incredible punching power of Tyson, who was a mere 21 years old at the time.
Excellent!! thanks for the reminder.

But what would have been the outcome had he fought Holmes when Holmes was in his prime ?- I give you Foreman- Ali as an example ( and Ali was past his best even then )

He would still have got KO'd imho. Very few, if any, could live with Tyson at this stage of his career

Exactly what was said about Foreman - especially after his demolitions of Norton and Frazier .

I guess thats the beauty of boxing debates. I would love to have seen certain fighters fight each other in their primes. Sadly it is not possible with fighters from different era's. These outcome of said fights will differ in opinion all the time

I think one thing is certain, nobody since Tyson could have lived with him, Holyfield and Lewis certainly wouldn't have lasted against him. I don't know enough about fighters before him to comment, but since Tyson I can't think of anybody who would have stood in his way.

[ZR1cliff]

I remember watching a documentary on Tyson, one thing that came across was he is a good boxing historian who has studied the sport and each champion from an early age, building up dosiers on them all. Some make him out to be thick but for such a young fighter, at 21, taking on ex champion Holmes he was never overawed, and even when Holmes started playing to the crowd early in the 4th round I get the impression Tyson used his knowledge to bide his time.

[Nobaccymaccy]

Colin_147 said:

I guess thats the beauty of boxing debates. I would love to have seen certain fighters fight each other in their primes. Sadly it is not possible with fighters from different era's. These outcome of said fights will differ in opinion all the time

Exactly ! The list is endless , and so would be the debate .
Marciano versus Tyson ?
Liston versus Tyson
Marciano versus Ali ?
Foreman versus Tyson ?
Ali versus Tyson ?



Apart from Marciano time beat them all .

[StevenJJ]

Tyson was so fast, shockingly so.

[MikeyT]

Bonecrusher Smith got knocked out from memory so I don't think you could say he stood up to Tyson - Tony Tucker put up a much better performance against Tyson (went the distance) in the fight that unified the heavyweight division.

Holmes was WAY past his best when this fight happened - some say it should never have happened - Tyson was just too fast and too young - as Holmes was when he beat Ali.

Tyson at this age aginst Holyfield and Lewis(even together!) would both have been won by Tyson I am sure. Anything Tyson did post-prison was way below his previous standards, but you've gotta give Holyfield credit - he beat him TWICE!

[DJC]

MikeyT said:

Bonecrusher Smith got knocked out from memory so I don't think you could say he stood up to Tyson - Tony Tucker put up a much better performance against Tyson (went the distance) in the fight that unified the heavyweight division.

Holmes was WAY past his best when this fight happened - some say it should never have happened - Tyson was just too fast and too young - as Holmes was when he beat Ali.

Tyson at this age aginst Holyfield and Lewis(even together!) would both have been won by Tyson I am sure. Anything Tyson did post-prison was way below his previous standards, but you've gotta give Holyfield credit - he beat him TWICE!

Hmm, my memory must be playing up...I thought Smith stood upto him?

Note to self...dont rely on dodgy memories 20yrs old!

[Nobaccymaccy]

DJC said:

MikeyT said:

Bonecrusher Smith got knocked out from memory so I don't think you could say he stood up to Tyson - Tony Tucker put up a much better performance against Tyson (went the distance) in the fight that unified the heavyweight division.

Holmes was WAY past his best when this fight happened - some say it should never have happened - Tyson was just too fast and too young - as Holmes was when he beat Ali.

Tyson at this age aginst Holyfield and Lewis(even together!) would both have been won by Tyson I am sure. Anything Tyson did post-prison was way below his previous standards, but you've gotta give Holyfield credit - he beat him TWICE!

Hmm, my memory must be playing up...I thought Smith stood upto him?

Note to self...dont rely on dodgy memories 20yrs old!

Alzheimers not confirmed yet ... Bonecrusher lost to Tyson on a unanimous points decision over 12 rounds in 1987

[MikeyT]

DJC - a bit of googling proves you ARE in fact correct - memory is playing tricks on me! It was Pinklon Thomas who got knocked out (in about the sxith from memory) - Bonecrusher lost on points ... (wide margin) ...

[DJC]

Phew! I thought I remembered that fight as Tyson in his prime and threw everything he had at Smith and Smith took it. He dished some back out, but Tyson then was simply too fast and was throwing punches with weight behind them from every angle and was non stop energy for 3 mins every round. Not many(who else?) went the distance with Tyson in those days.