Quote Originally Posted by ross View Post
Yeah it is just opinion but Mike Tyson at that time back then was seen as unbeatable. The other top fighters around would have all had percieved weaknesses or losses as skilled and consistent as they were they didnt have that aura of invincibility and destruction where it was possible to see Mike beating any fighter in history (at that point)
I think that aura and mystique is exatlly what helped get Mike beat up by Buster Douglas. That, Don King and a hot water bottle. The greatness and place in history was better placed around the outcome of a match with number 1 ranked Holyfield the first time around and its a shame they cancelled the second signed date and missed a chance for definition.

I really think alot of Mike being a number 1 p4p had as much to do with his speed and Heavyweight concussive endings as it did being a household name and benifiting from massive exposure like no other fighter then. Again, its comes down to what we interpreate it as. Opposition? Longevity? Actual skillset?Douglas was a solid package that night but to see him make Rings #6 p4p doesn't say much for whole thing, beating a p4p doesn't make you an actual p4p type fighter. Not to mention Tyson still being 7th even after being thumped and then 5th p4p even after the Ruddock fights speaks to more of the popularity push imo while at the same time his skills were starting to show big cracks. He was living on yesterdays.