Some thought on Tyson

[El Kabong]

@Spicoli Holyfield put Ray down with a body shot if I remember correctly. Still the man had an iron chin and had never been KO'd when Wlad fought him. With Wlad being a young heavyweight at the time it was a good solid test for him no shame in that fight. Now the Rahman fight...even I didn't want that one to happen but Hasim had earned a shot at Vitali who was out injured/retired at the time and Wlad gave him the fight.

Kevin Rooney was a decent enough trainer, I think he handled Tyson's success about as well as Tyson did. He was a young trainer, handed the reigns by Cus after Tyson's fallout with Atlas and with that meteoric rise to the top and domination of the division Rooney was kind of at the mercy of the situation as the authority figure Cus had passed away. You look at some top trainers you can see loads of GREAT fighters they've worked with...it's not that way for Rooney he's best known for Tyson, he worked a little with Paz, a little with Mormeck, had some ok success with Lenord Pierre Anasta until he ran up on John Duddy. Rooney also had some success with a heavyweight for a while Thomas Hayes, from Chicago who was 5'11 with a 72" reach (sound familiar?). But he's never recaptured the magic he had with Tyson.....but then again you look at Cus and he had a long career but with only a few successful very fighters Patterson, Torres, Tyson.

I think the peek-a-boo style works to an extent, but you're burning daylight from the start with that style. It's a hyper aggressive pressure fighter style.

[El Kabong]

I think everyone would welcome Kevin Rooney getting another fighter to the top of the sport again and I hope he's teaching the style he learned from Cus to a new generation so that style can stick around because when it works it REALLY works (though it has it's limits). Some people had high hopes for Teddy Atlas training Povetkin as well.

It's a shame these guys can't find the talent they need to gain access to.


I also think that Amateur boxing is really being hurt because professional trainers can't work with those kids AND have pro fighters at the same time (or some bullshit like that). I believe Rooney and/or Atlas would do well by boxing to help out the youth especially given the style they teach.


Also, ever wonder how Rooney would have done with any other heavyweight? Or how Tyson would have done with Atlas in the pro ranks?

[Master]

Rooney had drink issues and never did it with any other fighter subsequently.

Atlas is the type of trainer that the boxer would want to slap because he seems to play to the TV screen and try and make it like rocky movie.

[El Kabong]

Rooney had drink issues and never did it with any other fighter subsequently.

Atlas is the type of trainer that the boxer would want to slap because he seems to play to the TV screen and try and make it like rocky movie.

Both true...but some trainers will be that way, and some won't.

I think Rooney saw his dream crash and had trouble handling it when Tyson left him. I think Atlas is just built the way where he's urging intensity from a fighter and it makes him steal some spotlight.

[Spicoli]

Head shots Lyle, rang his bell off the ropes via right then caught him hooks in close. Dude Wlad was a defending champion and Mercer was a ghost, years removed from warring with Lewis and Holy. But ok ok

It's a weird contrast Teddy and Rooney. Rooney always struck me as calm, comfortable in the corner and self. Teddy does indeed let his passion overwhelm his brain and subsequent message, theatrical but never looked like his heart wasn't in it.

[El Kabong]

Head shots Lyle, rang his bell off the ropes via right then caught him hooks in close. Dude Wlad was a defending champion and Mercer was a ghost, years removed from warring with Lewis and Holy. But ok ok

It's a weird contrast Teddy and Rooney. Rooney always struck me as calm, comfortable in the corner and self. Teddy does indeed let his passion overwhelm his brain and subsequent message, theatrical but never looked like his heart wasn't in it.

Wlad was 26, Mercer was 40-41 I think and Ray was working on his comeback after a layoff. After the "loss" to Lewis, Mercer was 7(6 KO's)-0-0 going in to the fight. But whatever every top fighter fights an old dude eventually.


Rooney and Atlas have just vanished from the training scene...it's ridiculous. Manny Steward always had a good stable of fighters, Freddy Roach always has a good stable of fighters. How did those guys just disappear from the scene like that?

[IamInuit]

Reducing Tysons style to "peak a boo" is ridiculous. It was much more then that. It may have turned into that a year or so after Cus left and Mike fell in love with his power and celebrity but its what developed from it that made Tyson special.

[Andre]

Tyson was as good as he was ever going to be with Rooney. He reached his maximum potential IMO.

The style they had for him was perfect. Teach a tortured soul with great power and athleticism how to seek and destroy.

Worked well enough to strike fear into the hearts of other animals who seemingly feared nothing.

Yep and the crazy man persona wasn't stemmed, it was what it was and it was great to watch while it lasted.
Im happy with the outcome for Mike too these days he seems at peace with it all.

[Andre]

Reducing Tysons style to "peak a boo" is ridiculous. It was much more then that. It may have turned into that a year or so after Cus left and Mike fell in love with his power and celebrity but its what developed from it that made Tyson special.

I agree makes it sound all too easy. It takes great tenacity to move in close under fire and to hunt down openings like that beneath the swings grapples and hooks, it isnt to be sneered at. Some say this and that about some of the opposition throughout the ages as well but at any one time whats available is the hardest hitting men in the world with balls enough to seek out the others.

[El Kabong]

Reducing Tysons style to "peak a boo" is ridiculous. It was much more then that. It may have turned into that a year or so after Cus left and Mike fell in love with his power and celebrity but its what developed from it that made Tyson special.

I certainly didn't mean to do that. Tyson is the perfection of the style nonstop head movement, quick hands, great solid base, good footwork, good chin, and of course the big power.

He devolved into a guy looking for one big punch but that was also due to his age. It's a very tough style to keep up because it uses so much energy

[SugarBoxing]

Rooney had drink issues and never did it with any other fighter subsequently.

Atlas is the type of trainer that the boxer would want to slap because he seems to play to the TV screen and try and make it like rocky movie.

That is 100% true. Atlas is an etalon for the attention whore.

I can not help laughing everytime i read about high hopes regarding where would Mike go with Teddy.

[Master]

Rooney had drink issues and never did it with any other fighter subsequently.

Atlas is the type of trainer that the boxer would want to slap because he seems to play to the TV screen and try and make it like rocky movie.

That is 100% true. Atlas is an etalon for the attention whore.

I can not help laughing everytime i read about high hopes regarding where would Mike go with Teddy.

Tyson or Teddy may have killed one another.

[El Kabong]

Would Tyson have had as much success with another trainer? And I mean with a great one like Eddie Futch.

[Master]

Would Tyson have had as much success with another trainer? And I mean with a great one like Eddie Futch.

I could not see Tyson being as successful with another style like Toney or Frazier.

[mikeeod]

Tyson was a great fighter, HUGE puncher and one of the most intimidating champs ever. That being said, the only prime great he beat was Spinks, who was really a light heavyweight. Tyson is a level below guys like Evander, Lewis...etc., and a couple of levels below Ali n Louis.