prime tyson vs prime lewis

[ICB]

I hear you BIG H, Tyson did fight the best there was but the trouble is, the heavyweight division was, and has been pi$ weak for a loooong time and he never fought anyone even remotely dangerous compared to the likes of Ali, Frazier, a young Foreman, Norton, a young Holmes, Ron lyle, Ernie Shavers, Jimmy Ellis, Henry cooper, and the list goes on.
We'll never know how good Tyson was or could have been but i very much doubt he would have been much in the 60's or 70's.
Good little guys rarely beat good big guys, and they never do it regularly.

I agree with a lot of that, but you have to apply the same to most heavyweights in history, because almost every era has had just 1 dominant champ and the opposition has not been great or has been well past prime - Only exceptions are the Ali/Frazier/Foreman era - and the Holyfiled/Lewis/bowe era.

imagine if bowe holy and lewis would been in same era as ali fraizer and foreman we would of been in for real treat i can see it now holy vs fraizer  bowe vs foreman  lewis vs ali

[BIG H]

yes mate - would've been quality

[VictorCharlie]

I think that although the current era of boxing has better atheletes due to science and training, I believe that there is a decline in the number of kids that get into boxing (which is evident by the closing of gyms around the country) couple this with more weight classes and the proliferation of belts through crappy alphabet orginizations we have a more diluted talent pool then say pre mid 80's. Considering that it is much harder to find a 6 ft 200+ pound athelete that wants to fight, than say light-middle weight, it is no wonder that the watering down of the boxings talent pool is even more evident in the HW ranks. I think the guys that HW's fought (pre late eighties) as they were working up the rankings were of a better quality than today. At the very least the HW division and boxing as a whole had more depth.

[landmine950]

Hmm a tyson in shape moving..like in the first round of their fight...oh wait..he won that round!!! Tyson takes him....and anyone else OUT!

[oakleyno1]

tyson ko 6 score about even at the time

[ICB]

Hmm a tyson in shape moving..like in the first round of their fight...oh wait..he won that round!!!    Tyson takes him....and anyone else   OUT!

dont be stupid just because he won one round out of 8 doesnt mean he would win and he doesnt take anyone else out he is *human being* he is beatable but many tyson fans believe hes better than ali blah blah all this crap and is unbeatable i think its joke

[ICB]

tyson ko 6 score about even at the time

if tony tucker could go 12 rounds with prime tyson and win 4 rounds then im sure prime lewis would go distance and win decision

[landmine950]

Hmm a tyson in shape moving..like in the first round of their fight...oh wait..he won that round!!! Tyson takes him....and anyone else OUT!

dont be stupid just because he won one round out of 8 doesnt mean he would win and he doesnt take anyone else out he is *human being* he is beatable but many tyson fans believe hes better than ali blah blah all this crap and is unbeatable i think its joke

My thought was that a out of shape heavy tyson was able to do his move and bob style against lewis and win that round..after that he was too tired to fight the only way he knows how. Lewis has a weak chin and tyson would get to him early just like he did against berbick. Young tyson was very very good but the style itself preclude longevity older guys can keep the kind of conditiion and intensity to keep it up..... If a slow rahman can catch lewis a fast young tyson would kill him .. thats my feeling anyway.

[Boxerjl]

I WOuld Go With Lewis

[brad4dboxer]

IMO "Prime Tyson" was when Cus was alive & "pre Douglas".
Then Mike didn't know that it was possible to be beat, because he couldn't be beat. <-------(true)
Nobody beats the Tyson when he was at his Prime. <-------(true)
No heavyweight in history, even in their Primes.

Nope, not him either.
None.

I will not back-off of this opinion.

[bigragu]

IMO "Prime Tyson" was when Cus was alive & "pre Douglas".
Then Mike didn't know that it was possible to be beat, because he couldn't be beat. <-------(true)
Nobody beats the Tyson when he was at his Prime. <-------(true)
No heavyweight in history, even in their Primes.

Nope, not him either.
None.

I will not back-off of this opinion.

CC bro!!!! GO BUCKS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I'm going to the OSU-Cincinatti game Saturday!!!!!!!!!!!!!! SWEET!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[RayLeonard1982]

Lewis never fought prime tyson. That tyson in 2002 was 15 yrs past his prime. Mike lost a lot of skills whe he was away for those 4 yrs in prison. Mainly his ability to counterpunch off his defense. Prime 1987 Mike KOs Lewis within 5 rounds

[RUSHMORE]

I haven't read all of these replies, but Lewis easily. Lewis would keep him at bay with the jab and land power shots after a few rounds, frustrating Tyson...not much different from their fight a few years ago.

[lb4lb]

Many people bring in McCall and Douglas into this equation, but the reality is neither Lewis or Tyson took these fights as serious as they would have if they fought each other. This being said, Lewis would have gave up some earlier rounds, but would have figured out the one dimentional fighter in the end. Basically same result as their actual fight only 1 or 2 rounds longer.

Was prime Tyson one dimensional

Just illustrates my point that everybody thinks of the Tyson he became and not the fighter he was.

I do think he was a one dimentional fighter in his prime as well. I stongly feel that the quality of his opponents was not as great as most people think, until he ran into Evander and Lennox. Some of the names were popular at the time... They were not at or near their primes. (eg. Larry Holmes)

Goes back to the argument about who did he duck between 86-89 (nobody) he fought tthe best there was, now that wasn't a great bunch of fighters, but was as good as the fighters that Louis, Dempsey, Marciano or most other "Great" Heavyweights fought. Can't blame a fighter because they stand out as being so much better than the rest of their era, that's what made them stand out and made the others look ordinary!

Good point. I will agree with you on the 86-89, but I still think Prime Lewis vs Prime Tyson would be Lewis by KO. I suppose my point about Tyson being one dimensional is a little harsh, but he did not have the ability to adapt as Lewis does.

[ICB]

IMO "Prime Tyson" was when Cus was alive & "pre Douglas".
Then Mike didn't know that it was possible to be beat, because he couldn't be beat. <-------(true)
Nobody beats the Tyson when he was at his Prime. <-------(true)
No heavyweight in history, even in their Primes.

Nope, not him either.
None.

I will not back-off of this opinion.

thats stupid no one is unbeatable ..