BoroMart
Well-known member
For me you have to look at the calibre of opponents he faced. Yes he absolutely blew people away with aggression and speed and he had great footwork and head moment for 3 rounds, and that was enough for anyone outside the top 20.
His first first 20 opponents were really US journeymen and hand picked tomato cans. The exception being Jesse Ferguson who was well thought of. This as an era where the sport was america dominated, because the boxing authorities made it that way. He didn't step foot outside of the US at this point,when he finally did, he got beat.
Fight 21 they stepped the quality up, but they really should have done that 10 fights earlier instead of padding his record. For comparison Joshuas fought Whyte, Molina, Takam, Klitschko, Martin and Brazeale in his first 20 fights. Way better opposition than the people they wheeled in front of Tyson. Sure Tysons age meant they wanted to build his confidence, but he really was getting an easy ride at this point.
We then get to the era where Tyson gets his shot at the belts, Berbick, was really a stepping stone champ. He won the title on points but never successfully defended it, he's a footnote in boxing history.
Next was 'Bonecrusher' Smith, a decent technical boxer, but a glass jaw, he had lost 4 out of 9 leading up to fighting Tyson, he again hadn't defended the title after beating Tim Witherspoon, and winning.
Next was dethroning Tony TNT Tucker. This for me was Tysons most impressive win in his career. TNT was a tough guy and could hit. Tyson won on points. He was unbeaten at this point and had just beaten Buster Douglas for the vacant IBF. Again zero defences....a common theme in Tysons title wins.
Light heavyweight legend Spinks, a retire old man Holmes and then second rate Bruno were next. Good wins, but not the stuff of legends.
Then we get to the third part of Tysons career, Douglas broke the myth, showed not to fear him, let him blow himself out, then pile in on Tyson after 3 rounds. From that point onwards, like Wilder today, he was a busted flush.
Much of Tysons mystique is about the PR and the sensational KOs, but he never beat a proper legend, maybe even a proper top 4 heavyweight of his era, even in his prime. He was box office though, no doubt about that, and a real intriguing character.
His first first 20 opponents were really US journeymen and hand picked tomato cans. The exception being Jesse Ferguson who was well thought of. This as an era where the sport was america dominated, because the boxing authorities made it that way. He didn't step foot outside of the US at this point,when he finally did, he got beat.
Fight 21 they stepped the quality up, but they really should have done that 10 fights earlier instead of padding his record. For comparison Joshuas fought Whyte, Molina, Takam, Klitschko, Martin and Brazeale in his first 20 fights. Way better opposition than the people they wheeled in front of Tyson. Sure Tysons age meant they wanted to build his confidence, but he really was getting an easy ride at this point.
We then get to the era where Tyson gets his shot at the belts, Berbick, was really a stepping stone champ. He won the title on points but never successfully defended it, he's a footnote in boxing history.
Next was 'Bonecrusher' Smith, a decent technical boxer, but a glass jaw, he had lost 4 out of 9 leading up to fighting Tyson, he again hadn't defended the title after beating Tim Witherspoon, and winning.
Next was dethroning Tony TNT Tucker. This for me was Tysons most impressive win in his career. TNT was a tough guy and could hit. Tyson won on points. He was unbeaten at this point and had just beaten Buster Douglas for the vacant IBF. Again zero defences....a common theme in Tysons title wins.
Light heavyweight legend Spinks, a retire old man Holmes and then second rate Bruno were next. Good wins, but not the stuff of legends.
Then we get to the third part of Tysons career, Douglas broke the myth, showed not to fear him, let him blow himself out, then pile in on Tyson after 3 rounds. From that point onwards, like Wilder today, he was a busted flush.
Much of Tysons mystique is about the PR and the sensational KOs, but he never beat a proper legend, maybe even a proper top 4 heavyweight of his era, even in his prime. He was box office though, no doubt about that, and a real intriguing character.
