prime tyson vs prime lewis

[BIG H]

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!

Respect for the list, but Marciano's opposition has got to be more questinable than Tysons

[Boxerjl]

I Like Your List I Just Believe Ali Was A Great Heavyweight So was Louis

[El Kabong]

Marciano's opposition might have been questionable when you think about the Walcott, Louis, Charles, Moore names on his record but what about LaStarza and Layne? Those guys were tough customers and Rocky blasted them

[anthony]

gotta go with lewis. prime tyson looked so good because of who he was hitting back then. tyrell biggs(no punch, weak chin) tony tubbs (featherfisted and overweight) frank bruno (no stamina, weak chin) carl williams (weak chin again) michael spinks (one of the greatest lightheavyweights of all time, but not a heavyweight). its not that lewis has fought great opponents, but you judge who is the best when they fight the other worthy fighters of their generation. tyson was indeed passed his prime when he fought lewis, but so was lewis. tyson was even passed his prime when he fought holyfield, but again so was holyfield. lewis fought and beat tyson,holyfield, and tried desparetly to go bowe in the ring(whom he had already beat for the gold in the olympics).lewis was just the better fighter. lewis would have exposed what those fighters in the 80' that tyson knocked out couldnt, his lack of mental strength and heart. tyson has to be one of the most overrated heavyweights ever. he barely cracks the top 20 of most boxing historians/experts lists.

[BIG H]

Marciano's opposition might have been questionable when you think about the Walcott, Louis, Charles, Moore names on his record but what about LaStarza and Layne? Those guys were tough customers and Rocky blasted them

Can't say I've seen any footage of the LaStarza fights, but I know that there was talk of a gift decision to Rocky in the 1st fight and that the 2nd fight was close before Rock knocked him out.

[El Kabong]

and Tyson never had gifts or close fights


FRANS BOTHA!!!!

[USA LOVES THE KLITSCHKOS]

Tyson before the 4th

[El Kabong]

Tyson before the 4th

Gotta disagree with you here Lewis would dominate him though it would be closer early on and Tyson would last longer but Lewis' size and power as well as boxing ability gives him the edge to Tyson's combinations and fast hands

[NuthaPug]

I agree Lyle - as long as he didn't get caught in one of those early rounds. If he did, fight could end early in Tyson's favor.

[BIG H]

and Tyson never had gifts or close fights


FRANS BOTHA!!!!

Well my point was that you said Marciano blasted La Starza

..and no I don't remember Tyson ever been helped by the judges, although he should've been disqualified against Botha

[Gandalf]

and Tyson never had gifts or close fights


FRANS BOTHA!!!!

Well my point was that you said Marciano blasted La Starza

..and no I don't remember Tyson ever been helped by the judges, although he should've been disqualified against Botha

Tyson in his prime won comfortably on points against any opposition that went the distance....

Frans Botha didnt face a prime Tyson, he faced a much reduced Tyson...

[El Kabong]

Fine Tyson was soooo great ONLY Buster Douglas could beat him....oh but that wasn't his "PRIME" I guess he's just the best fucking think ever since he beat Michael "JACK" Johnson....I believe the real JACK JOHNSON would have put up more of a fight eventhough he had been dead for over 20 years!!!

If you are talking about PRIME Tyson then Rocky is FAR AND AWAY the better fighter. He fought LaStarza who was better than anyone Tyson fought, he fought Joe Louis who was better than Old Larry Holmes, he fought Archie Moore and Ezzard Charles who were better than Michael Spinks who didn't want to fight at all. Rocky fought Jersey Joe Walcott who was more dangerous than Bruno or anyone else Tyson fought.

Tyson's prime was brought to you by TV and fueled by glass jawed BUMS!

[BIG H]

Who did Tyson fail to meet between 1986-1989 that he could've met.

He baet the best of his era - and check out how old and how many fights Walcott and Moore were when they foguth Marciano.

[El Kabong]

Evander Holyfield
Oliver McCall
Gerry Coetzie
Michael Dokes
Greg Page
Tim Witherspoon

Anyone is better than who he fought

[BIG H]

Evander Holyfield
Oliver McCall
Gerry Coetzie
Michael Dokes
Greg Page
Tim Witherspoon

Anyone is better than who he fought

O.K Since we were talking about 1986-89 which is when Tyson dominated and when he fought all those people you claim were bogus, here's what I make of your list

Evander Holyfield - In 1986 Holyfiled weighed 190 pounds, didn't step up for Heavyweight title fight till 91

Oliver McCall - Only turned pro in 85 and didn't even reach NABF level till 92 - has also lost to Bruno & Tucker WHO TYSON BEAT

Gerry Coetzie - Retired in 86 after been blown away in one round by the same Frank Bruno that you classed as being one of Tyson's lowly opponents

Michael Dokes - was fighting stiffs between 86 and 89 and was stopped by holyfield in 89

Greg Page - went 6-4 between 86-89 and lost to Joe Bugner in the process - hardly begging to fight for title. He has also lost to Seldon, Douglas, Tubbs & Ruddock - ALL OF WHOM TYSON BEAT

Tim Witherspoon - knocked out in a round by Bonecrusher (WHO TYSON BEAT) in 86 and hardly fought for next 3 years - although I do agree this would've been a test for Tyson