BoxRec

I was reading the thread ‘What if Tyson hadn’t . . .’ and I started thinking what were Tyson’s best fights, best in the sense that they were best for us, the fan; not his best performance.

With Tyson everything was there for our generation to have had our own Dempsey-Firpo, but it never came. We never got a Foreman-Lyle from Tyson. The closest we got, in my humble opinion was, Holyfield-Tyson I.

The fight for me was one of those fights where there is a constant intensity, an intensity you get when both fighters are prime, strong, and you know it can be over any second, either way; every punch they threw seemed (probably was) dangerous. They spent the night in a phone booth, there was never a relaxing moment; never a moment to exhale, you know, when Ali/Whitaker/Camacho would dance away from their opponents, and then the fight would have to restart, none of those moments happened, every second of the fight seemed like it was the last half inch of a fuse about to ignite; and then it did; a great fight.

As a pure selfish fan, I think it was the best night we got - for the millions we paid the kid.

Digression: I wonder what he did with all that money, can you just simply spend that much? He didn't/doesn't have a drug problem; there are no stories of gambling. I would love to see a list of his bad investments; I'll bet there is at least one failed strip club on that list, maybe two. (What you just read was not judgement, but envy.)

APerno wrote:
Digression: I wonder what he did with all that money, can you just simply spend that much? He didn't/doesn't have a drug problem; there are no stories of gambling. I would love to see a list of his bad investments; I'll bet there is at least one failed strip club on that list, maybe two. (What you just read was not judgement, but envy.)

Tyson admitted to heavy drug and alcohol abuse, even using a fake penis that someone else's urine could be expelled from to fool the drug tests. Also a lot of hanger ons and over indulgence. I remember one story where Tyson hit someone's car and as an apology he gave him his own car, something like a Bentley or other prestigious make. Also tax debts,legal fees,and an expensive divorce. Lots of cars as well, over a 100 apparently. Something like 300 million dollars he went through, crazy.

I would say the Alex Stewart fight...

Stewart wasn't super good, but he was a very strong and tough.. In his only loss he gave a good account of himself versus Holyfield - landing some very nice punches on Holy.. A year later he would beat the living crap out of George Foreman before getting robbed of the decision.. But now he was facing a menacing Tyson, intent on homicide inside the 1st round.

Mike was pissed.. It was his 2nd fight back from being knocked out by Buster Douglas... He was fit to be tied and trained to the minute after slacking off a bit during his Douglas camp.. He got rid of Henry Tillman almost immediately in his 1st fight back -- and he had smoke coming out of his ears for Stewart, looking for the quick knockout again.. His speed and power were evident as he ripped tremendous cuts at Stewart, looking to take his head off.

Tyson scored a knockdown quickly, and that would have finished some Heavyweights.. Tyson continued to come after Stewart hard.. Alex was having difficultly getting any shots off or trying to keep Tyson off him. He would throw and find a glove in his face.. A hard right send Stewart down again but he regained his feet without too much difficulty.. The round wasn't even half over and the 3-knockdown rule was in effect.. Stewart tried his damnedest to get out of the round and was doing better for a while.. His corner yelled at him "45 seconds Alex" Tyson jumped on him with a short left hook and a thoroughly disgusted Stewart went down again.. The idiot referee started counting and Stewart looked at him incredulously, like "Stop counting Sport. The fight's over."

Carl Williams and Trevor Berbick

He broke down Pinklon Thomas and Tyrell Briggs pretty well.

It wasn't a 1 or 2 round KO like Berbick or Carl Williams.

But it wasn't a 12 round snoozer like Bonecrusher or Tucker either.

He had so many great and impressive wins, perhaps Pinklon Thomas or Carl Williams and most surprised me how he got Spinks.

For pure brutality, it has to be versus Marvis Frazier.

His most skilful showing was against Reggie Gross.

His best fight was probably against Thomas. Pinklon was a decent campaigner & Tyson systematically broke him down & stopped him.

I seem to remember in his autobiography
that it was an amateur fight of his that he considered his best fight
( which was a controversial loss)
and his most vicious knockout was Pinklon Thomas.

He had several that were pretty close. One that never gets mentioned in the second Bruno fight. A lot of people were shocked at how well he fought that time.

Tyson has won both times without problems but Bruno vs Lewis was excellent and uncertain fight to the knockout

Ambling Alp II wrote:He had several that were pretty close. One that never gets mentioned in the second Bruno fight. A lot of people were shocked at how well he fought that time.

I wasn't... Bruno was super slow and grotesquely muscle-bound for Tyson 2.. What he was on I don't know.. That was the worst I've ever seen Bruno fight

Ambling Alp II wrote:He had several that were pretty close. One that never gets mentioned in the second Bruno fight. A lot of people were shocked at how well he fought that time.

Bruno was petrified; in fact, he was so scared that he looked like he was wearing a nappy!

He made it easy for Tyson & made Tyson look better than he actually was.

Kalan wrote:I would say the Alex Stewart fight...

Stewart wasn't super good, but he was a very strong and tough.. In his only loss he gave a good account of himself versus Holyfield - landing some very nice punches on Holy.. A year later he would beat the living crap out of George Foreman before getting robbed of the decision.. But now he was facing a menacing Tyson, intent on homicide inside the 1st round.

Mike was pissed.. It was his 2nd fight back from being knocked out by Buster Douglas... He was fit to be tied and trained to the minute after slacking off a bit during his Douglas camp.. He got rid of Henry Tillman almost immediately in his 1st fight back -- and he had smoke coming out of his ears for Stewart, looking for the quick knockout again.. His speed and power were evident as he ripped tremendous cuts at Stewart, looking to take his head off.

Tyson scored a knockdown quickly, and that would have finished some Heavyweights.. Tyson continued to come after Stewart hard.. Alex was having difficultly getting any shots off or trying to keep Tyson off him. He would throw and find a glove in his face.. A hard right send Stewart down again but he regained his feet without too much difficulty.. The round wasn't even half over and the 3-knockdown rule was in effect.. Stewart tried his damnedest to get out of the round and was doing better for a while.. His corner yelled at him "45 seconds Alex" Tyson jumped on him with a short left hook and a thoroughly disgusted Stewart went down again.. The idiot referee started counting and Stewart looked at him incredulously, like "Stop counting Sport. The fight's over."

Comedy gold right there.

Kalan wrote:

Ambling Alp II wrote:He had several that were pretty close. One that never gets mentioned in the second Bruno fight. A lot of people were shocked at how well he fought that time.

I wasn't... Bruno was super slow and grotesquely muscle-bound for Tyson 2.. What he was on I don't know.. That was the worst I've ever seen Bruno fight

Spot on.

Bruno was the size of a bus & he looked almost as terrifed as Tyson himself looked going up against Evander Holyfield the second time around.

Bruno was really pathetic in that fight; a so-called HW champion capitulating like that; Tyson must have thought it was Christmas.

Tyson was really lulled into a false sense of security during his immediate fights before Holyfield 1.

All his opponents fell over to order, one of them (yes, you, Bruce Seldon ) fell over from a slight glance from a forearm & Mike really was not ready for what Evander Holyfield brought to the party the next time out.

Syntax Error wrote:

Kalan wrote:

Ambling Alp II wrote:He had several that were pretty close. One that never gets mentioned in the second Bruno fight. A lot of people were shocked at how well he fought that time.

I wasn't... Bruno was super slow and grotesquely muscle-bound for Tyson 2.. What he was on I don't know.. That was the worst I've ever seen Bruno fight

Spot on.

Bruno was the size of a bus & he looked almost as terrifed as Tyson himself looked going up against Evander Holyfield the second time around.

Bruno was really pathetic in that fight; a so-called HW champion capitulating like that; Tyson must have thought it was Christmas.

Tyson was really lulled into a false sense of security during his immediate fights before Holyfield 1.

All his opponents fell over to order, one of them (yes, you, Bruce Seldon ) fell over from a slight glance from a forearm & Mike really was not ready for what Evander Holyfield brought to the party the next time out.

I was so disappointed with Bruno in that fight. So many things in his favour compared to their first fight but he was pathetic.

I quite liked both Ruddock fights some bombs throw in them fights.

Spinks, that wasn't just anyone Tyson banged out that night

Spinks, that wasn't just anyone Tyson banged out that night

Agreed.....a complete, rapid and almost clinical take-out of a very talented fighter.

Controversial wrote:

Syntax Error wrote:

Kalan wrote:
I wasn't... Bruno was super slow and grotesquely muscle-bound for Tyson 2.. What he was on I don't know.. That was the worst I've ever seen Bruno fight

Spot on.

Bruno was the size of a bus & he looked almost as terrifed as Tyson himself looked going up against Evander Holyfield the second time around.

Bruno was really pathetic in that fight; a so-called HW champion capitulating like that; Tyson must have thought it was Christmas.

Tyson was really lulled into a false sense of security during his immediate fights before Holyfield 1.

All his opponents fell over to order, one of them (yes, you, Bruce Seldon ) fell over from a slight glance from a forearm & Mike really was not ready for what Evander Holyfield brought to the party the next time out.

I was so disappointed with Bruno in that fight. So many things in his favour compared to their first fight but he was pathetic.

I agree. Bruno was desperate.

I guess I saw a different fight that some people. To me, Bruno simply was not as good as a Tyson, and was outgunned. It was not for lack of trying. He came to fight and did land some shots. He had every reason to be confident after coming off his biggest win in his previous fight and taking on a fighter who might be rusty.

Tyson fought at a high workrate, landed some clean shots, and was the harder puncher. Not sure why I seemed to be sticking up for Tyson lately, but sometimes you have to props to someone you don't like.

I guess I saw a different fight that some people. To me, Bruno simply was not as good as a Tyson, and was outgunned. It was not for lack of trying. He came to fight and did land some shots. He had every reason to be confident after coming off his biggest win in his previous fight and taking on a fighter who might be rusty.

Tyson fought at a high workrate, landed some clean shots, and was the harder puncher. Not sure why I seemed to be sticking up for Tyson lately, but sometimes you have to props to someone you don't like.

I think you are right....Frank really was really not well-equipped to deal with guys who could play it fast and loose like Tyson.

Frank always needed to get a foothold in a fight - find the right distance, get the big jab working - and then throw in some crosses.

To be fair, Frank was not shy in spotting a weakness if his jabs started to thump home and moved on quickly to throwing big, fight-ending shots.
But he always kinda needed that platform.

The chaos and speed of Tyson never allowed Frank to settle and Bruno put on the back foot against a puncher of that quality was bad news.

Have to agree on Michael Spinks, Trevor Berbick and Pinklon Thomas, though the
Tyrell Biggs and Larry Holmes wins were also impressive. The skill he showed
vs. Gross was pretty amazing.

The Botha fight was interesting because Tyson was losing that fight and turned
it around dramatically. If he'd kept Buster Douglas down, that probably would have
been his best fight.

The Tubbs win was good too -- blowout!

Pinklon Thomas had been considered the best HW in the world by KO magazine after the win over Weaver. He was rated above Holmes.

And most people thought Thomas would beat Holmes at that point. The subsequent defeat by Berbick was a shock. But Pinky was still highly thought of. Tyson was considered and disciplined in that fight. And when his chance came he took it. I always thought this was his best win.

Ezzard wrote:Pinklon Thomas had been considered the best HW in the world by KO magazine after the win over Weaver. He was rated above Holmes.

And most people thought Thomas would beat Holmes at that point. The subsequent defeat by Berbick was a shock. But Pinky was still highly thought of. Tyson was considered and disciplined in that fight. And when his chance came he took it. I always thought this was his best win.

I think you can make a good argument for that one. Thomas fought pretty well but Tyson still was in control. There are so many that are close; Berbik, Tubbs, Spinks blowouts, the 2nd Bruno fight.