Quote Originally Posted by TitoFan View Post
I'm not the world's biggest Tyson fan, Lyle. You're barking up the wrong tree. I just cringe when I see you write that any number of mediocre heavyweights of the past years could've beaten a prime Mike Tyson. You're so defensive of Wlad... that sometimes that can carry to being dismissive of other great heavyweights of the past.
I'm defensive of Wlad because he too is a great fighter and people are slow to respect fighters that are still fighting. When people try to tell me that the bums from other eras would beat Wladimir #1 It's wrong and #2 it's disrespectful.

When I listed the boxers I thought could beat Tyson I was respectful and I was thoughtful. If people want to consider Ray Mercer a "bum" then fine, he certainly wasn't but whatever. Ray had a very inconsistent career but at one point in time do I think he had the skills & abilities to handle Mike Tyson? YES. Ray Mercer really pushed Lennox Lewis and Evander Holyfield, he had a chin, he had good fundamentals and he'd be around for 12 rounds vs Tyson who after about 5 rounds would start to show some wear because the pressure fighting style plus the power punching is taxing on stamina.