Is Mike Tyson the biggest waste of talent in the history of boxing?

Question

I think so.
Here's a guy that was taken from a dead end life, nurtured and trained from a very young age by one of the greatest trainers in boxing history - introduced to the right people, injected into the sport at the right time, matched against the right opponents, basically had everything mapped out for him - and still managed to blow it.

In his career, Tyson made about 400 million dollars, but now he's 200 million dollars in debt, with no way to pay it back.
How the f**k does someone do that?
And I'm tired of people blaming Don King and the myriad of hangers-on that he had around him. Mike Tyson is a grown man in control of his own faculties. It was his choice to have those people there. Whatever happened to personal responsibilty?

The incredible athlete that Cus D'Amato created, that should have gone down in history as the greatest heavyweight champ ever, is now relegated to being a footnote in the sport, a case of what might have been
I see him ending up like Liston.

It's interesting to read all the pro Tyson stuff here, especially from the guy who wants to compare the former Iron Mike against guys like Louis, Ali and Leonard - guys who actually fought and beat great competition, and didn't crumble when opposition actually fought back, or resorted to cheating (the ear biting) to get themselves disqualified, instead of knocked out again - and then concocting a bulls**t story about being head butted.
The one thing that Tyson did not have, that is one of the marks of a great champion, is character, ironic, because Cus D'Amato emphasised that again and again with Mike Tyson.

Sorry guys, but Mike will never be considered one of the greats.

Ric - you missed your calling. You should have been a writer for soap operas.
My friend, everyone has a hard luck story, some a lot worse than Tyson's. I had a hard life. So what? How many people are given the opportunities he had? Tyson's brother never was. He actually grew up on the streets of Brownsville, while Mike grew up in a two story house in the Catskills. He's now a well respected pharmacist in California. He never resorted to thuggery.
Bottom line - Mike Tyson is a grown man in control of his own facuties. Everything that happened to him, he did to himself. Sorry.

You guys out there saying Ayala - interesting - and a fair assessement, but you're wrong.
First off, Tyson is a heavyweight, there's just something special about that division. Most lay people only know who the heavyweight champ is.
And also this - Ayala, no champion in history matter of fact, did not arrive with the fanfare, ferocity and potential for greatness that Mike Tyson did.
And he blew it.

Consider this: Going into the Douglas fight in 1990, with his record at 37-0, and with Tyson seemingly invincible, if someone had told you that over the course of the next sixteen years he would only win another THIRTEEN fights, and against guys like Bruce Seldon, Clifford Ettienne and Francois Botha, you'd have told them they were crazy.
How is this a great fighter?

That turning sound you hear is Cus D'Amato in his grave.

Answer 1

i agree with you.. he really is the greatest waste of talent in the history of boxing... it was fun watching him though... although the last once are a waste of money and time...

Answer 2

Brad ~
Tyson's right up there, you mentioned Liston he's there too, In my opinion he's a lot like Tony Ayala, like Tony, Mike can't control himself. He needed and needs that person to guide him. Cus knew, Teddy Atlas Knew, Kevin Rooney knew, even Bill Cayton knew that Mike is Mikes own worse enemy. Don King just let Mike be Mike. Mike is a grown man and has thrown most of his God given talent right out the window but that doesn't take away from the fact that there were people around him egging him on. I respect what you write Brad, I follow this forum very closely, you're one of the guys I like to follow Brent F, Toughguy, Ric and a few others a right on point. It's easy to look at the pathetic shell of man Mike has turned out to be and say all the things that come to mind when we (Fans) see wasted talent, especially when we held him such high regard. I think that my, yours and everybody else expectations were just a little to high for Mike, sure it might be as simple as being a good human being to you and I, but to Mike, Mikes just not normal he's scarred, damaged. Every interview I've read about Mike it seems as if he doesn't have a clue and I honestly believe he doesn't. It's not that far off Brad. I use to a fan of the fighter not the man, now and I know it's self-inflicted, I just feel bad for the human being.

Answer 3

No, at least Tyson became a champion and is still considered to have been a pretty good one. Tony "El Torito" Ayala was th biggest waste of talent. He was poised to demolish the welterweight division of Sugar Ray, Hit Man Hearns, Hagler and Durand around 1981. He was a supreme talent. But he was convicted of rape before he ever fought for the title. He got out of prison in the late 90's and actually was resuming his boxing career when he was thrown back in again. He'll probably never be a free man again.

Answer 4

No, I think you are for asking such a slanted question. The man reached the pinnacle of his chosen profession, and is a lot more than a footnote. ESPN Classic still does shows and documentaries on Iron Mike; his personal life is the footnote. He later fell off, like all the great ones do. The best "pound for pound" was Sugar Ray Robinson, the brown bomber Joe Louis, the eastern assassin Larry Holmes, and the greatest "heavyweight" Muhammad Ali also fell off in the end. Do you also consider them a waste of talent or a footnote? Roy Jones, Jr, Oscar DelaHoya, Felix "Tito" Trinidad had their @$$es handed to them. Are they also wasted talent and footnotes? Tyson was an idiot outside of the ring, PERIOD! As a boxer, he was one of the greatest heavyweight champions ever, PERIOD!
Rocky Marciano was the only smart one I can think of, who stopped before he fell off.

Answer 5

I agree pretty much with what Prophet and Santana said. While Tyson is up there in the wasted talent category, I think Tony Ayala Jr. is the biggest waste of talent in the history of boxing. Here's a guy who had physically what it took to be a champion and didn't have the discipline to hang around long enough for his title shot! Props also to Vincent B for his answer, point on!

Answer 6

To me a waste of talent is one that never really materialized. Young Mike Tyson was the realization of talent, to the horror of the other heavyweights at the time. His case is more of a waste of money and skills.

To me a waste of talent would be someone like De La Hoya who never really hit that crux of boxing nirvana. Sure, he won fights and won belts but he never really hit that high note did he? And when he had the opportunity to grasp the public's imagination against Tito Trinidad, he wasted it away. That to me is his biggest downfall. He had the opportunity to cement his legacy in the minds of all his fans-and detractors but he failed miserably. He has not been the same fighter since.

At least, Tyson was universally respected and feared at one point in his career. The fact that he peaked before he hit 30 is another story.

Answer 7

I know I know I know... But let me retell the story you told so you see the otherside. You have a poor prostitute in NY. She has a boy in the ghetto. This boy does all he has ever been taught, be a thug. Then one day in Juvi', a boxing trainer notices him. "Adopts" him with 1 thing in mind... make him fight for money. Yes, he was trained by the best... but they were "green eyed monsters". I do think Cus cared for him. But nobody else did. Did you ever feel alone... REALLY alone? I have been physically hurt alot, but nothing in the world hurts like being alone. He got thrown into the milk shake after Cus dies. Becomes the millionaire champ at only 20. I was dumb at 20. I made $26 per hour and blew it all by the week's end. I never had a dad, I was never "raised". You get money, now people "repect" you. I seeked acceptance, so did he. I was a boy still due to my lack of nurturing. I honestly told my friends, "Quit your job and follow me, you'll make more money... I drop it all the time and don't care." This (now 24 year old) boy lost to Douglas, OK, big deal. He then got set up for rape. This is a whole different story, but HE DID NOT DO IT. Goes to the clinck 3 year blah blah blah. I've been to jail too. You grow up real fast there, or you give up. When Tyson came back, a bunch of bozo's were champs. By this point he was done. You see the big time rich millionaire champion, I see a poor boy who was never loved by anyone unless he hurts someone. Anyone who calls Tyson names like that, does not know what it is like to REALLY be hurt emotionally. He looked for acceptance, fighting and money was all that poor man had. Like Frankenstein, all he wanted was love. He went at it the wrong way, but never was taught differently. A prostitute's son who's a thug get $$$ for hurting people is supposed to be smarter? No. I honestly feel for him. He wants to be a good man, but the world looks at him as a bad guy... I wouldn't know what to do either. He'll always be a prisoner in his life. Maybe he deserves it, I say not.

Answer 8

Tyson Bec

Answer 9

tony ayala jr was just as good as tyson but at an even earlier age .there are eye witnesses who saw ayala knock down the reigning world champ at welterweight pipino cuevas in a sparring session ,at that time ayala was 14 years old.at least tyson became world champion ayala was sent to jail for rape before he got his title shot blowing his chances of huge purses against duran,hagler,hearns,and leonard. after serving 17 years ayala was released and made a predictable ill fated come back,after losing to yory boy campas he ended up back in trouble being shot while breaking into a house.im not sure if he ended up back in prison,but i am sure he wasted his huge talent

Answer 10

The problem with most people when they talk about guys like Mike Tyson is that they expect them to be as great as they had been in their heydey.That's a sad way to judge an athlete.What did Joe Louis do to his career?What happened to Larry Holmes?NO....you don't judge guys when they are in the twilight of their careers.The testimony to Tyson's being one of the toughest men ever is his appeal....more people are fascinated by him than most others,and I am not talking about his mess ups,but his huge popularity as a boxer,which is as high today as it was before he went to jail.

Answer 11

YES! Not only in boxing but in all of sports. Had Cus D'Amato lived longer, it might have been a lot different for Mike Tyson.