BoxRec

Which Boxers were a tough opponent for Mike Tyson?

I know only Douglas and Holyfield who else was it?

Lennox Lewis

James Tillis, Frans Botha, Tony Tucker, Pinklon Thomas

Frank Bruno, Bonecrusher Smith and Mitch Green kinda did but not really.

Holyfield, Douglas, and Lewis. The rest used mostly spoiling tactics, I wouldnt say they were tough. Certainly not Tucker and Thomas. Thomas recieved a brutal beating making me wonder if the person who said that saw that fight. Tucker was pretty much dominated and despite his huge reach advantage he was outjabbed by Tyson. Lewis was mainly tough because of Tysons deterioration. A prime Lewis against a prime Tyson is easy meat for Tyson.

Danny Williams, apparently.

Tucker put up a decent fight against the prime Tyson, lost 116-112 on my card. Staying upright and winning four rounds against Tyson in those days was a moral victory.

I just posted about the Douglas fight in another thread. Tyson was horribly unprepared, clearly hadn't trained for the fight, and Douglas, when he felt like fighting, was much better than given credit for. Buster Douglas was to Tyson what Hasim Rahman was to Lennox Lewis.

Holyfield, obviously. Evander wasn't afraid of Tyson, and to be honest I don't think Tyson ever would have beaten him. He's a good match stylistically and knew how to get in Tyson's head, and he was supremely confident against him.

Lewis beat the crap out of Tyson because Tyson was shot and looking for a payday, same as Danny Williams did tonight. The Tyson of 1988 would have probably KO'd Lewis. The 2001 version was just too old and not as skillful.

Razor Ruddock's two fights with Tyson were entertaining, but Mike was clearly the better man.