Heavyweight boxing was stongest while tyson was away in jail irony?

[pacdog]

Boxing in general has falling off but just the other day I realized how bad the the heavyweight division truly is now, while I think klitchko is much improved and a good sound fighter he really doest do anything extrodinary hes got good power not great power, a bad chin... he has no outstanding defining attribute and rally will lose as soon as someone who is half way decent arrives (if he ever will) the same goes for vitali who is just a bigger more unpolished but better chinned version of his brother, hes horrible to watch.
Its funny how when mike tyson went to jail people were complaining about the heavyweight divsion was lacking and now were yearning for the days of holyfield, tyson, bowe, lewis, etc.. Mike should not have gone to jail he messed up may good rivaries that could have been borne such as bowe vs tyson
lewis tyson, holyfield tyson etc..

[Hulk]

It is a little ironic I guess. People were so caught up with Tyson being in jail that they just assumed that he would kill any other heavyweights once he got out, so whoever was champ while he was in, was not really the champ, just keeping Mike's belts warm while he was in prison. Once he got out though, Tyson didn't really fight any one worth a damn besides Holyfield, whom he lost to, twice. He didn't fight Bowe, or Golota(90's Golota), or Lewis who was his mandatory, or even Briggs, or Moorer, or Morrison, or Mercer, hell not even former sparring partner Oliver McCall. Once Mike got out he fought bums, a paper champ in Seldon and a guy he had already KO'd and punked in Frank Bruno. It really is disapointing when you think about it.

[Beanflicker]

I would have loved to see Tyson/Bowe.

[SigmaMu]

It is a little ironic I guess. People were so caught up with Tyson being in jail that they just assumed that he would kill any other heavyweights once he got out, so whoever was champ while he was in, was not really the champ, just keeping Mike's belts warm while he was in prison. Once he got out though, Tyson didn't really fight any one worth a damn besides Holyfield, whom he lost to, twice. He didn't fight Bowe, or Golota(90's Golota), or Lewis who was his mandatory, or even Briggs, or Moorer, or Morrison, or Mercer, hell not even former sparring partner Oliver McCall. Once Mike got out he fought bums, a paper champ in Seldon and a guy he had already KO'd and punked in Frank Bruno. It really is disapointing when you think about it.

But Hulk? You are going to tell me that Tyson was not fighting bums before he got locked up?

[supergenius]

For me, Tyson is the most exciting boxer of all time. HAd he not gone bad, he would have been my best boxer of all time.

[El Kabong]

Well how good he was is obvious isn't it? I mean ONLY AFTER HE LEFT did the top teir fighters start fighting each other....Bowe and Holyfield, Lewis and Briggs, and Golota and Mercer and Morrison and Moorer.

The 1990's definently had depth....I'd argue almost as much depth as the 60's-70's. Yes that era had a couple GREATS but the 90's had a TON of GOOD fighters

[Hulk]

It is a little ironic I guess. People were so caught up with Tyson being in jail that they just assumed that he would kill any other heavyweights once he got out, so whoever was champ while he was in, was not really the champ, just keeping Mike's belts warm while he was in prison. Once he got out though, Tyson didn't really fight any one worth a damn besides Holyfield, whom he lost to, twice. He didn't fight Bowe, or Golota(90's Golota), or Lewis who was his mandatory, or even Briggs, or Moorer, or Morrison, or Mercer, hell not even former sparring partner Oliver McCall. Once Mike got out he fought bums, a paper champ in Seldon and a guy he had already KO'd and punked in Frank Bruno. It really is disapointing when you think about it.

But Hulk? You are going to tell me that Tyson was not fighting bums before he got locked up?

He was fighting what was out there. Aging Holmes, scared Spinks were his best opponents. That was all that was available in the late 80's. Certainly those two were more accomplished and better fighters than Seldon and Mcneeley and Bruno again.