Who could beat 86-89 Tyson?

[VG_Addict]

Is there anyone in HW division history who you would pick to beat the Tyson from 1986 to 1989?

I would give Lewis a good chance. He was tall with a great jab.

[Boxing Writer]

Is there anyone in HW division history who you would pick to beat the Tyson from 1986 to 1989?

Foreman, Ali, Bowe

[SaadOffTheDeck]

Douglas

[stevedoc]

I don't think Lennox would of beat Tyson to low a work rate and Lewis being a bit chinny doesn't help .

[Tuan_Jim]

I like Lewis a lot but it's hard to imagine a worse opponent for him than a man with the speed, chin, pace and one-shot power than came in bundles of a prime Mike Tyson.

One shot KOd twice and repeatedly within a whisker of a bloated David Tua's telegraphed hook.

[SaadOffTheDeck]

Lewis actually looked scared for the first round when he fought Mike. That being said, Lennox is as wrong for Mike as Tyson could be for him. If Mike doesn't get him out early. Lennox beats him up. Holyfield beats any Tyson, anytime and anywhere.

[Boxing Writer]

Lewis actually looked scared for the first round when he fought Mike. That being said, Lennox is as wrong for Mike as Tyson could be for him. If Mike doesn't get him out early. Lennox beats him up. Holyfield beats any Tyson, anytime and anywhere.

In "prime-for-prime" matchups I'd favor Holyfield against any HW of the last 30 years besides Riddick Bowe.

[dr_devious]

Ali, Foreman, Liston, peak Holmes

[Tuan_Jim]

Lewis actually looked scared for the first round when he fought Mike. That being said, Lennox is as wrong for Mike as Tyson could be for him. If Mike doesn't get him out early. Lennox beats him up. Holyfield beats any Tyson, anytime and anywhere.

In "prime-for-prime" matchups I'd favor Holyfield against any HW of the last 30 years besides Riddick Bowe.

Ditto on Holyfield. Absolutely everyone bar Bowe.

[King Carlos]

Ali. Maybe Holmes. Maybe Liston.

[elmersalsa]

The great Mike Tyson blows out any heavyweight champion before the great Sonny Liston. After the Liston era, he could get beat by greats like Muhammad Ali or Evander Holyfield (depending which Holyfield shows up), but, besides all that, I don't see too many heavyweights beating him.

[cfang]

Lewis actually looked scared for the first round when he fought Mike. That being said, Lennox is as wrong for Mike as Tyson could be for him. If Mike doesn't get him out early. Lennox beats him up. Holyfield beats any Tyson, anytime and anywhere.

Wasn't so scared when Mike went for him and he unloaded those uppercuts. Lewis came firing back straight away in r1 to assert. Tyson for me is a huge disappointment. I thought he was the second coming of Joe Louis when he was on the up. The let down was his inability to come back from adversity. It makes you think that against pretty much any of the top heavyweights of the past, if they could last the first 2 rounds or so and start throwing back, that he'd capitulate - even against the smaller ones.

[SaadOffTheDeck]

Lewis held repeatedly for the first rd and into the second. When the ref threatened to take a point something clicked and he realized he didn't have to hold and he shoved Mike back. He was extremely fidgety and nervous before that.

[cfang]

Lewis held repeatedly for the first rd and into the second. When the ref threatened to take a point something clicked and he realized he didn't have to hold and he shoved Mike back. He was extremely fidgety and nervous before that.

Just watched the first round or so. Yes he did hold a lot. I'm thinking that was a tactic as he knew Mike was dangerous early. He did unload those uppercuts though in r1 when threatened. That was the tone of the fight for me. Lewis always went on the offensive when threatened - just like in the Vitali fight too. I know Mike was a shell and all that but he still had his punch just nothing else so Lewis was wise to take some precautions. I do think Lewis would have beaten mike at any stage though - he was better.

[Counter-puncher]

Lewis held repeatedly for the first rd and into the second. When the ref threatened to take a point something clicked and he realized he didn't have to hold and he shoved Mike back. He was extremely fidgety and nervous before that.

Its not a fight I ever rewatched but you just described my memory of it crystal clear

I was rabidly cheering Lennox and his nervousness was very clear and transmitted itself very much to me as a cheerleader, and like you say was at least 2 or 3 rounds before it was dispelled. When he settled down I settled down, but that took a while .

[Counter-puncher]

Lewis held repeatedly for the first rd and into the second. When the ref threatened to take a point something clicked and he realized he didn't have to hold and he shoved Mike back. He was extremely fidgety and nervous before that.

Just watched the first round or so. Yes he did hold a lot. I'm thinking that was a tactic as he knew Mike was dangerous early. He did unload those uppercuts though in r1 when threatened. That was the tone of the fight for me. Lewis always went on the offensive when threatened -

He sure didn't always go on the offensive when mercer punched him repeatedly in the face. Caveat, again that's a fight I never rewatched.

[BoxBuzz]

Ali, Foreman, Frazier, Holyfield, Douglas, Lewis, Liston, Prime Holmes.

Before Liston? Charles, Louis, Jeffries.

[King Carlos]

Ali, Foreman, Frazier, Holyfield, Douglas, Lewis, Liston, Prime Holmes.

Before Liston? Charles, Louis, Jeffries.

[SaadOffTheDeck]

Yeah, not a long enough list. I'd add, Walcott, vitali, Marciano, Witherspoon, Mercer and the list goes on.

[Boxing Writer]

Yeah, not a long enough list. I'd add, Walcott, vitali, Marciano, Witherspoon, Mercer and the list goes on.

Tyson would beat Mercer easily by wide UD. Others fighters from this list would have had much better chance of winning against Mike.

[Tuan_Jim]

Vitali is far too slow for Tyson. His technique also favours large targets. He injured himself missing Byrd all night.

[SaadOffTheDeck]

Tyson was clueless on the inside, that kind of size difference with vitalis chin absolutely gives him a chance. Mike was a midrange fighter as his best, that's miles away.

[Tomasino]

Tyson was clueless on the inside, that kind of size difference with vitalis chin absolutely gives him a chance. Mike was a midrange fighter as his best, that's miles away.

I had a long argument on the UK forum about Tysons inside fighting. The vast majority were rabidly convinced Mike was the greatest inside fighter in history. Even with all his fights being available to watch

They didn't seem to understand 'mid range'

[Stevieb8006]

Anyone that could a) get on top of him, he didn't really do adversity b) dealwith intimidation tactics c) make it a long fight

[SaadOffTheDeck]

Tyson was clueless on the inside, that kind of size difference with vitalis chin absolutely gives him a chance. Mike was a midrange fighter as his best, that's miles away.

I had a long argument on the UK forum about Tysons inside fighting. The vast majority were rabidly convinced Mike was the greatest inside fighter in history. Even with all his fights being available to watch

They didn't seem to understand 'mid range'

Oh, I've been scorned for that truth for many years. Vitali not being a big puncher and countless fast guys like zab and Paulie not being 'slick'.