prime tyson vs prime lewis

[BIG H]

If Tyson is so overrated, why did nobody else set the Heavyweight world alight for so many years before or since him. If he was in the same league as the likes of Mercer and Morrison why didn't they dominate like he did, his era was no worse than almost any (apart from 2) in history.

People just remember the slugger he became and no the great fighter he was. If he retired in 89 he would be in everybodies top 5 greatest heavyweights of all time and he still is in mine!!

cc bro, a prime Tyson was dynamite!!!

CC Back

[Gandalf]

If Tyson is so overrated, why did nobody else set the Heavyweight world alight for so many years before or since him. If he was in the same league as the likes of Mercer and Morrison why didn't they dominate like he did, his era was no worse than almost any (apart from 2) in history.

People just remember the slugger he became and no the great fighter he was. If he retired in 89 he would be in everybodies top 5 greatest heavyweights of all time and he still is in mine!!

Nicely put, Big H

Tyson revisionism shouldnt detract fromt he awesome force that he was....

[BIG H]

If Tyson is so overrated, why did nobody else set the Heavyweight world alight for so many years before or since him. If he was in the same league as the likes of Mercer and Morrison why didn't they dominate like he did, his era was no worse than almost any (apart from 2) in history.

People just remember the slugger he became and no the great fighter he was. If he retired in 89 he would be in everybodies top 5 greatest heavyweights of all time and he still is in mine!!

Nicely put, Big H

Tyson revisionism shouldnt detract fromt he awesome force that he was....

CC back Miles me old china

[ICB]

big h i havent seen whole of ruddock vs tyson were they good fights ??

[BIG H]

big h i havent seen whole of ruddock vs tyson were they good fights ??

Both competitive, Ruddock fought on with a broken jaw in the first, so fair play to him

[ICB]

really ?? wow didnt know that

[ICB]

have cc by the way big h

[BIG H]

Already cced u 2day young man

[ICB]

ok thanks

[ICB]

shame ruddock never fought holyfield is that true big h that holyfield refused to fight him

[El Kabong]

OK BigH I respect your right to have an opinion but I simply cannot agree with Tyson being the 3rd best heavyweight of all time behind only Louis and Ali!

1. Louis
2. Marciano
3. Ali
4. Foreman
5. Frazier
6. Holmes
7. Johnson
8. Dempsey
9. Liston
10. Walcott
11. Charles
12. Lewis
13. Bowe
14. Holyfield
15. Tyson
16. Norton
17. Patterson
18. Braddock
19. Tunney (beat Dempsey twice but retired after 1 more defense)
20. Baer



As for Tyson's revisionist history, I think his rosey past MORE than makes up for his short comings...I mean look who he was fighting ffs! If he was 20 in 1994 he wouldn't have been the youngest heavyweight champ ever, not by a long shot!

[cockey cockney]

SOMEBODY has to include a poll to this!

[Galaxy]

I think saying that Tyson was mentally toughest with Rooney in his corner is a little misleading. First of all Tyson at his most mentally and emotionally sound is still less than what I think necessary for great fighter. Not to mention he was beating up a bunch of average fighters at best. Who doesn't feel on top of the world when they are beating up a bunch of cans?

Spinks is a hall of famer, he took Holmes to two razor close decisions, that's no fluke! Tyson took him out in one round. Look at Lewis' record the only great name is Holyfield. If your trying to say Tysons opposition was limited, Lewis never really fought anyone either until Holyfield!

thats not true lewis beat razor ruddock in 2 rounds and ruddock gave tyson 2 hard fights ill give u list of good people he beat

tommy morrison
razor ruddock

andrew golota and golota was fresh off battering bowe around
frank bruno
tony tucker was 49-1 when he fought lewis and tucker gave prime tyson tough fight
gary mason ok gary mason wasnt world class but he was 35-0 when he fought lewis
henry akiwande ok again he wasnt world class but he had 32-0-1 record at that time

Don't give me Morrison & Ruddock. Morrison was blasted out by Mercer who went on to loss to a Holmes who Tyson cooled in 4 rounds. Tyson fought & beat Ruddock 3 years after his prime! Look @ my previous posts I'm talking up to Spinks. Tyson's prime ended in 88 IMO. Plus Tyson had already taken care of Tucker in 87, 6 years before Lewis. My comment about Lewis comp was only to state that Lewis' opposition was no better than Tyson's on the way up. If anything Tyson's was better.

Tyson's "prime" ended at 22 years old?...you play these "telephone" references with Morrison, Mercer, Spinks and Holmes...but the fact is Tyson beat up a 38 year old Holmes after a two year layoff if you want to count that fight you have to count the Lewis/Tyson massacre as a valid fight...arguing about Spinks is ridiculous, he was a great Light Heavy that capitalized on an opportunity to pocket 13.7 mil and because a fight ends in one round or 12 rounds is generally irrelavant if you believe styles make fights...ask yourself a question, why did Tyson avoid Mercer, Holyfield,Morrison and Foreman? a Tyson/Morrison fight would have been the biggest grossing fight in history..... and why did Mike make such "b" level fighters like Douglas and Ruddock look so good? Answer: because Tyson was/is overrated, face it...

Bro I don't count the Holmes fight not at all, only using it to show how bad Morrison & Mercer were. Someone else brought those two guys up, just saying Tyson had already out done them. Arguing Spinks is ridiculous, what are you on about he went 30 rounds with Holmes who was in no way past his best!!! Fights like Douglas & Ruddock came when Tyson was on the slide, as I said in all my posts here Tyson was going down hill after the Spinks victory. You could see it in his 1st fight with Bruno. Put any of those guys in with a Tyson prior to 88 & he knocks them all on their a**!!!

Tyson going Down hill at the time of the Spinks fight? Tyson was 21 years old for chissake! So was his prime when he was 19 years old? Was his prime when he decisioned Smith, Tucker or KO'd the neighborhood "crack addict" Biggs The Berbick KO was nice but remember Berbick was KO'd by Bernardo Mercado in a one round blowout so it had been done before...

If Mercer and Morrison were so bad, why wouldn't Iron Mike have any part of them? they would have been huge paydays and (according to you) easy blowouts?..Instead Mike chose Frank Bruno, Carl Williams and Buster Douglas(oops)...When you compare Tyson's opposition prior to 1988 it was good not great, with about 3 or 4 tough top tier fighters...Over the course of Mike Tyson's title reign his opposition(and results) pale in comparison to LL and Holmes, it's just a fact...

Mike Tyson was an exciting fighter that fought great at times but overall he did not have the championship legacy that Larry Holmes, lennox Lewis or even Evander Holyfield did...Mike was the youngest ever and no one can deny it or take that away from him, but that's as far as his legacy goes...

Bro I was reponding to the 1st post where it was said that Tyson was beating up a bunch of tin cans. I said the only great name on Lewis' record was Holyfield which I stand by. I said Tyson was on the slide after the Spinks victory cause King was in his ear, & Rooney was on the way out. That's when Tyson stopped traing properly & spending more time at bars than the gym. I have never compared Tyson & Lewis' championship legacy, only the fact that Lewis' opposition on the way up was no better if not worse than Tysons!!!

[Boxerjl]

I Think Tyson Is Ausome But Ali Is The Best Heavy Weight For Me He Wasnt Just A Pound For Pound Man He Actually Got Out There And Moved Around Like The Welterweights And The Lower Weight Classes I Like His Style And I Liked His Fights

[VictorCharlie]

why do you capitalize the first letter in every word?