Was there any boxer in history more athletic than Mike Tyson?

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Originally Posted by Taeth

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Originally Posted by Bookkeeper

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Originally Posted by eagle

Roy Jones comes to mind. Speed, power, agility.
Lennox Lewis had remarkable coordination and speed for such a big guy.

If u ever saw what Mundine did on a rugby field you'd see how athletic he was, blindingly fast over the turf. He used to do all sorts of back flips and shit when he scored.

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Roy Jones was a great ( still is) athlete, but I have seen 175 guy's that hit harder than he ever did, his speed was blinding and he had great agility, but I never saw a HW with the physical attributes of a Mike Tyson and Mike carried around alot more weight than Roy. Mike was a better athlete. As far as Mundine I don't know who he is but over here in the states we had a guy by the name of Bo Jackson that played football ( American), I can't decide who was a better overall athlete him or Tyson but it's close and that's my top two in any sport.

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Roy wasn't a natural 175 pounder, he was a natural 160-168 pound fighter, and his record was 22-0(21) ko's going into his championship fight. I wonder how far up Mike Tyson's power would have carried him in terms of changing weightclasses, most of the bigger guys who weren't just there to be knocked out handled his power in his prime.

James Tillis
Bonecrusher SMith
MItch Green(who hung on, but survived).

Please Bo Jackson definitely was up there, but not Mundine, he isn't as quick as Roy was in his prime, Mundine is a good athlete for sure, but Deon Sanders was a great athlete who excelled at 2 sports
Wilt Chamberlain
Lebron James, 6-8 240-250, 4.4 40 yard dash, 44 inch vertical jump, he would have been a monster at Football, which he was in highschool before he quit for a basketball career.
Antonio Gates: Great at basketball and football
same with Gonzalez for the chiefs.
Randy Moss: amazing speed, would have been an incredible basketball player, and was one.
Michael Jordan: 6-6, 220, 4.3 40 yard dash, 42 inch vertical, great athlete
Michael Vick: 560 pound bench press at 212 pounds!! 4.20-4.27 40 yard dash, great shuttle, 40+ inch vertical time as well, he was at least as good of an athlete as Bo Jackson.

To sum it up any NFL or NBA team has right now an athlete better then any boxer who has ever lived.

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when u put it like that yea. but those are very different sports. in boxing u only have to fight 12 rounds for 3 minutes and get a 1 min break every round. but in NFL u have to play a full hour with extra equipment on and run up and down a field, and also tackle men that weigh atleast from 190- 300 pounds. and in boxing all u have is gloves on. and in NBA you have to run up and down a court 15 minutes str8 basically, so you would have to be in better shape to play basketball and football than boxing.

so yea NFL and NBA athletes are in better shape than boxers. but still 2 different sports

Harry Creb the human windmill wasnt the most athletic, but naturally he sure must have had some inner strength and vigour.
Those were long fights back then and most accounts say he never let up for a second.
Fought with only one eye for a few years too.
When he went into hospital to do repair work on the good eye and he died under the anestetic :eek:

Charlie Powell, arguably one of the greatest all-around atheletes of all time. Also Roy Jones who once played semi-pro baskestball in the afternoon and then stopped Eric Lucas in the evening.

Carlos Boldomir





















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Bo Jackson didn't just play football he was a hell of a baseball player as well.



The greatest athlete that was a boxer was probably Ray Robinson or Muhamed Ali.


The athlete with the best shot at being a great boxer was probably Bob Gibson or Jim Brown

Ray Lewis? bigger, stronger, faster, and meaner then Jim Brown

Shaq if he had the mentality?
Or Wilt Chamberlain?
Michael Vick? They could all box IMO if they wanted to.

Also Muhammad Ali IMO wasn't as good of an athlete as Roy JOnes Jr, same with Ray Robinson they had more heart and a better chin, but Roy had better handspeed than either, better balance, and body control.

Naz has not even been mentioned in the thread yet? I cant imagine RJJ or Ali doing forward flips, flips up from being on his back or flipping over ropes. He had crazy power for a featherweight, great strength (body slamming Soto springs to mind) amazing athlete.

Pernell Whitaker
RJJ
Naseem Hamed

Primed Holyfield was no slouch in the athletic department.

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Originally Posted by Taeth

Ray Lewis? bigger, stronger, faster, and meaner then Jim Brown

Shaq if he had the mentality?
Or Wilt Chamberlain?
Michael Vick? They could all box IMO if they wanted to.

Also Muhammad Ali IMO wasn't as good of an athlete as Roy JOnes Jr, same with Ray Robinson they had more heart and a better chin, but Roy had better handspeed than either, better balance, and body control.

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It's all relative i guess. Roy certainly has to be considered one of the best pure athletes in the sport. But Ali's speed and footwork for a heavyweight (actually, ANY weight) was mind boggling. At his prime (late 20's up to right before he stopped fighting because of the draft)...Ali was a thing of beauty to behold. But Roy Jones certainly will always be near the top of the list for pure athleticism. Tyson was a monster too. Obviously his incredible strength and speed...but he actually was a solid technical fighter (solid defense, cordination and accuracy as well) under Cus d'amato. We sometimes forget that because of what a soap opera his life and later career became.

Jim Brown was a great all-around athlete who played lacrosse, football, basketball, and even ran track at Syracuse University. He may have been the greatest lacrosse and football player ever). Of course, he went on to professional football immortality. It's pretty difficult to argue that he was not the greatest athlete in American history. Jackie Robinson, Gene Conley, Deion Sanders, Dave DeBusschere and Bo Jackson (Bo could DO!), were pretty darn good all-around athletes as well. So were Jackie Jensen, Bob Mathias and, of course, Jim Thorpe. There were many other high-profile athletes who were multi-sports stars.


But one who flew under the radar for whatever reason (and a friend of mine) was a 6'4" 230 pounds, well-muscled, strong, and fast athlete who graduated from San Diego High School in 1952. He quickly became the youngest player in the history of the National Football League. He was one of the few who made it to--let alone star in- the NFL without playing college football (which may account for his low profile). Amazingly, prior to playing football, he had signed up with the old St. Louis Browns as a power hitting outfielder and spent the summer playing Class B ball for the Stockton Ports of the California League before forsaking baseball for football.


High School

He was one of the greatest high school athletes in American sports history and was recruited by the Harlem Globetrotters for his basketball skills. When they came to town, they all but begged his parents to let them take him with them. He was the only baseball player folks can recall hitting balls out of Balboa Stadium on a consistent basis, shots that reportedly even made Hall of Famer Ted Williams take notice. He was scouted by the NFL during high school. What's more remarkable, he accomplished this during a time when Jackie Robinson was breaking the color barrier in professional baseball. He recalled during an interview with the late Reggie Grant:



"But baseball and track were during the same season, so I'd go to the track meet, maybe put the shot a couple of times, and then change in the car and go to play baseball. . . . And every now then and I'd fill-in and run the relays" (Reggie Grant, "Mr. Versatility: the youngest player in NFL history," undated, 2005 Business Networking Charity Golf Tournament Champions Crowned

All in all, he won twelve varsity letters. Among other things, he ran the 100-yard dash in a blazing 9.6 seconds. He high jumped 6 feet and put the shot 57 feet 9--1/4 inches (a San Diego High School record that may still stand).



He was Southern California's "Prep Player of the Year" in 1950-51 and named on All-America High School team.


Football



His professional football career began in 1952 when San Francisco 49er Coach Buck Shaw showed up at his home in San Diego, contract in hand. His parents had to sign the contract, and he made a whopping $10,000.00 that first year. He was a world-class athlete long before players were fairly compensated for their skills. He credited his success as a football player (and later as a boxer) to his superior conditioning. As a nineteen-year-old, his chance to play came during training camp when the starter was injured, and he made the most of it.



In his first game, he played against the then world champions, the Detroit Lions. It was a team loaded with several all-pros and future Hall of Fame players. He sacked quarterback Bobby Layne an astounding ten times -- yes 10 times- for sixty-seven yards in losses. His performance was so inspirational that his teammates awarded him the game ball. It was the first time a 49er rookie was so honored. All this before the NFL kept official stats on things like sacks. He quickly became an NFL star, and a younger brother eventually would play in the AFL for the New York Jets. He and the great Joe "The Jet" Perry were the only black players on the 49ers at that time and sometimes had to stay in different hotels than their white teammates.


He played five seasons for the 49ers (1952--53 and 1955--57) and two for the Oakland Raiders (1960--61). In between, he boxed.


Boxing



He started boxing at the age of eleven or twelve. As a youngster, he would get up early before school and jog down to Archie Moore's home. He would then train with the Mongoose, go back home, shower, eat, and go to school. He earned extra money for his family during WWII by boxing at military bases near San Diego.



He started off his boxing career with a draw against one Fred Taylor, but then reeled off ten straight knockout wins. But, as often is the case in the less-than-scrupulous world of boxing, his managers and promoters moved him too fast, and he was taken out by Charlie Norkus in 1954 in a pier six brawl in which both fighters were down. Powell, 11-0-1 at the time, was young and naive to the all-too-familiar, sleazy elements surrounding him. Norkus was 24-12 and had already beaten tough Danny Nardico twice--the first time in a thrilling cult classic involving 8 knockdowns. He was one of those exciting types. If he didn't t get you, you would get him.

The highlight of his boxing career happened in March 1959 when he knocked out the number-two ranked boxer in the world, 6'4" Cuban Nino Valdes who was 46-16-3 coming in. Nino, who was on a 6-fight win streak, was decked three times. Another great win was a redemptive one over the rugged Norkus in a 1958 rematch.


He fought Muhammad Ali (then Cassius Clay) in 1963 in Pittsburgh before 17,000 fans, and like so many of Ali's other opponents, felt the sting of his insults. Ali predicted he would KO him in round three and did just that, but he earned $12,000 more than he'd ever been paid for an entire season as a pro football player. In 1964, he was paid $10,000 to fight Floyd Patterson, to whom he lost in six.


Eventually, he would finish with a record of 25-11-3 (19 KOs). Among his opponents were Norkus, Harold Carter, Patterson, Roger Rischer, Mike DeJohn, Johnny Summerlin, Roy Harris, and, of course, Ali. It was an imposing list, to say the least. He never fought an amateur fight.

Arguably, he did not reach his full potential because of that which distinguished him; namely, being a two-sport man. Going back and forth between football and boxing, he would put on weight for one and lose it for the other. Had he been able to focus on boxing, there is no telling how far he could have gone.


Yes, Jim Brown was a great all-around athlete. However, CHARLEY POWELL never served his apprenticeships. He never boxed amateur, nor did he attend college. He simply jumped from high school to professional stardom. In any discussion of who was the greatest athlete, I submit Charley Powell's name should be included.

Known as "Mr. Versatility," he was never really picked up by the public or the press, but I knew about him. If you are ever in San Diego, visit the Breitbart Hall of Champions and look for the Powell brothers, Art and Charlie. Art was a four-time all-star for the New York Jets in the AFL.

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Originally Posted by zhubin

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Originally Posted by Taeth

Ray Lewis? bigger, stronger, faster, and meaner then Jim Brown

Shaq if he had the mentality?
Or Wilt Chamberlain?
Michael Vick? They could all box IMO if they wanted to.

Also Muhammad Ali IMO wasn't as good of an athlete as Roy JOnes Jr, same with Ray Robinson they had more heart and a better chin, but Roy had better handspeed than either, better balance, and body control.

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It's all relative i guess. Roy certainly has to be considered one of the best pure athletes in the sport. But Ali's speed and footwork for a heavyweight (actually, ANY weight) was mind boggling. At his prime (late 20's up to right before he stopped fighting because of the draft)...Ali was a thing of beauty to behold. But Roy Jones certainly will always be near the top of the list for pure athleticism. Tyson was a monster too. Obviously his incredible strength and speed...but he actually was a solid technical fighter (solid defense, cordination and accuracy as well) under Cus d'amato. We sometimes forget that because of what a soap opera his life and later career became.

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Oh Tyson was beauty of a beast,Ali was just Ali. You cant even use his fight tapes for training purposes, its pointless. He's still called the greatest,because he was the greatest. They dont call it the Jerry Quarry Shuffle

Ali is one of the greatest sports personalities of all time but not the greatest boxer alot of people confuse the two.
I do think tyson was the most gifted heavyweight of all time and could have gone down as the best of all time but never will now, there has never been a heavyweight with the speed power athleticism aggression that wa as elusive and hard to hit as tyson not ali not anyone joe louis was the cloosest
I will not comment on the smaller divisions becuse my knowledge of them is not strong enought to compare them against what i know about the heavyweights.

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Originally Posted by Bookkeeper

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Originally Posted by Trainer Monkey

Ali,Ali,and Ali
He had out of nowhere power,footwork that was so good you shouldnt try it, speed to beat the band, and longevity Tyson could have only hoped for.
They call him the greatest for a reason

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I don't think Ali hit as hard as Tyson did, the speed is very very close along with agility, as far as longevity that's because Tyson was mentally ill and hopeless. Not many people who ever lived that were labeled ' baddest man on the planet " and your only 5'10. The guy was a monster

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I've seen him listed as 5 foot 11 1/2 before... even at the age he's at now... my Brother has met him... got a picture with him... he's at least 6 foot one and Mike is only a shade shorter than he is.

definitely RJJ for me. Next would be Mayweather.:cool: