Tyson V Tunney

[Ezzard]

Tyson threads always seem to bring everyone out for a real heated debate...

Tunney was a master boxer but didn't have too many fights at Heavyweight. He had a great defence and was never stopped but he never fought a prime Dempsey who would have been much quicker at closing the distance between himself and Gene. Tyson was even quicker on his feet than Jack and I believe it was his footspeed which was always going to allow him to KO these lighter craftier guys (Spinks).

I can only see Mike bulldozing Tunney in 1 or 2 rounds. Hopefull some of the more senior members here might be able to bring some interesting points regarding Tunney and how he might deal with Tyson.

[sharkeysboy]

God, that's a tough one. I believe Ali would have whipped Tyson. So if Tunney was the 20s version of "float like a butterfly, sting like a bee," maybe he could have beat him. But I'm thinking of what Tyson did to the LHW turned HW he fought. Ouch. Michael Spinks almost died in that fight. I'm a big Tunney fan but I'm leaning toward Iron Mike. I think the guys who would have beaten Mike in his prime are Ali and the super hard hitting, stand up fighters who were like uber versions of Buster Douglas - you know, Sonny Liston and George Foreman. There's a reason Buster Douglas beat Tyson. Tyson came at you. And if you just stood there and unloaded some heavy artillery on his head, he went down. Buster figured that out and in retropect it was probably always inevitable that a stand up slugger would end the Tyson juggernaut. And a Liston or a Foreman would have done in it in a brutal way. But any LHW stepping up to Tyson would have a tough go of it, even the Fighting Marine.

[dnahar32]

I would favor Tunney. Styles make fights, and Gene Tunney was a master boxer and would have avoided Tyson's best punches. He also would have showed resistance that none of Tyson's prime challengers did and Tunney would not be intimidated before he stepped into the ring. While it is true that Dempsey knocked him down in that second fight and if that were Tyson Tunney wouldn't have been able to survive, the one problem I see here is that Tyson didn't like to fight inside and Tunney has a 5" reach advantage to keep Tyson outside. If Tyson came in to land, Tunney would have hit him and he was a very accurate puncher in combination. How would Tyson deal with that resistance? We didn't see any resistance in Tyson's prime (87-89) to gauge this.

Overall, I think Tunney boxes and stays away and frustrates Tyson enough to win a decision on points. But, because of Tyson's speed and strength in his prime, I would not be surprised if he could score a KO. He would never win a decision over Tunney.

[The Great John L]

Tyson was even quicker on his feet than Jack and I believe it was his footspeed which was always going to allow him to KO these lighter craftier guys (Spinks).

Wow, I don't agree with this statement at all. Dempsey at his peak was very quick, and while Tyson was quick for his size, I think Dempsey had an advantage in speed. Of course, with the quality of most older fight films that's sometimes hard to tell, but Jack seemed to move pretty good on his feet, and also had very quick hands.

As far as Tunny v Tyson -- while Tunney was a small HW, he had extensive experience against all types of fighters, including a series with Harry Greb, so I can't see Tyson intimidating him. And without the fear advantage, I think Tyson has problems with any skilled HW. I think this fight could go one of two ways -- either Tyson in 3 rounds or less, or Tunney by UD. I'd go with Tunney by UD.

[dempseyfire]

Tunney

He was like smarter, craftier Holyfield. I see him giving Tyson abosolute fits and he was a tough SOB. Read about what injuries he sustained vs Greb in their first fight w/out quitting. No way does Tunney get KO'd early . . .he had a great chin.

Spinks is an awful example b/c Spinks came into the Tyson fight scared stiff. Tunney would not be intimidated.

[Jaclem]

...i go with tunney....most of the things in his favor have been written here, but i think his punch may be underrated. not a big kayo bomber, but he had a pretty good right hand, which accounted for most of his kayos, which usually came late. i've read a lot of accounts which say he had a hard right to the heart, which could wear a guy down as the rounds went on. also, terrific chin and always in shape. his courage and coolness under fire would be a great asset.

i think he'd decision tyson or maybe win by a late stoppage as tyson gets frustrated and discouraged.

however..and i just thought of this as i write...has tyson ever lost a fight by decision? i can't think of any, and i'm not going to check his record right now....somebody here will no doubt take the time to do it for me.

[KOJOE90]

Tyson was even quicker on his feet than Jack and I believe it was his footspeed which was always going to allow him to KO these lighter craftier guys (Spinks).

You may well be right however....

With regards to the Tyson - Spinks fight, I always felt that the reason Tyson ended that fight so quickly was in part due to Spinks allowing his fear to get the better of him (as opposed to how he used his fear to his benefit against Dwight Qawi) and the fact that Spinks knees were so completely shot which robbed him of his mobility.

[dnahar32]

Jaclem,
To answer your question about Tyson losing a decision, the answer is no.

Off the top of my head, Tyson losses:
Douglas KO'd 10
Holyfield KO'd 11
Holyfield DQ'd 3
Lewis KO'd 8
Williams KO'd (4th round or close to that)
McBride KO'd (6th round or close to that)

Tyson always loses convincingly. He has quit in him as well.

[tiredoldngrey]

Tunney wasn't overcome by fear against Dempsey so I'm sure he'd not freeze against Tyson. His movement would give Tyson trouble setting up but don't forget that Tunney's movement wasn't flight; it was more attacking from different directions. The punches he was known for, from what I have read were a very hard left jab, the straight right to the chin and to the heart, and a left uppercut to the pit of the stomach. Plus, coming from the era in which he fought he was adept at clinching and at using the clinch as a way of tiring out aN opponent. Given Tyson's willingness, at all stages of his career, to fall into clinches I'm not sure that he'd be doing much inside and I believe that as the fight went on two things would result: Tyson would tire and he would get frustrated. These things would work against him as Tunney wiould make him pay. Overall I think that the jab of Tunney would frustrate Mike, even bouncing off his forehead and the top of his head and the pop in the Tunney right would make him be respectful, like against Tucker. If ever he made the mistake- through frustration or fatigue- of standing straight up or of trying to jab his way in Tunney would commence to picking him apart and in short order the fight would end. Tyson would have one chance; early onslaught to catch Tunney cold and then to knock him equally as cold. If that attack failed it would be all Tunney after the 3rd or 4th round.