Can mike Tyson be considered as one of the best heavyweight boxer ever?

Question

Tyson is a former heavy weight boxing champion

Answer 1

No matter the cause of his future problems inside and outside of the ring, Mike still did what no other can and will not! He is the youngest heavyweight champ of all time and was the first to unify all three major belts and successfully defend them!! He was known for having some of the best defense ever seen in the heavyweight division as well as speed and power in both hands! Combinations that heavyweights weren't use to played a major affect on how Mike handled his opponents and to say that any of the fighters were intimidated is a sham of an excuse. Mike has easily stated that he always gets scared before his fights and no matter what believes his height has everything to do with it. Still, if any of his opponents were scared they simply would have not shown up or ducked him like Lennox and Holyfield did in the 80's, the time of his heydays his prime!!! Mike actually wanted to fight Lewis right when he turned pro, got on the phone with him and told him he was going pro and that Lennox should join him, Lennox wasn't ready as he figured that one out while sparring with Mike over a visit in their young days, Mike would make Lennox bleed bad when they would spar and Mike would also not wear the head gear like Lennox did. Lewis told Cus that Mike was like an animal who didn't give you breathing room let alone space to counter or do anything, he was simply too fast and powerful for you to get away from. Lewis told Mike he wasn't ready and that he was looking forward to winning gold in the Olympics.

Mike did something no other boxer was able to before him, knock out Larry Holmes and Pinklon Thomas, two men who never kissed the canvas for knockout let alone for a goodnight not getting up!

Due to the fact that Mike had succeeded in what he was molded for in becoming the youngest champ, after that he had nothing more to fulfill he had nothing more to offer the late Cus D'amato. After he won Mike was totally confused and started to eventually rot into nothing with all the problems outside of the ring starting to combine with his boxing image. Ruined by a false imprisonment and bad statements made by the media as well as having a rotten promoter Mike was destined for a big fall without D'amato to keep him afloat and finish molding Mike into the man he was to become after succeeding!

Mike has to be considered one of the greats as Ali has been beat by boxers who we never would have thought would beat him. He faced great contenders and greats as well. Give him some credit for doing all this in a fashion that brought the people to love the sport of boxing so much like they did while he was raining upon his greatness. He gave the people what they really wanted to see and that was a flashy knockout coming from the Iron man himself!

Donald K - Big E as well as Jimmy all have great answers and you have to look at is as a skill factor and what he accomplished in the heavyweight division as a boxer. Too many people compare his personal problems with his boxing career and that makes thing difficult and draws everyone's attention to what really matters. Mike has made his statement and has cemented a spot for himself as one of the greats even if it's not where he was destined to be placed. No matter he is one of the greatest boxers of all time, you simply can't ******* argue that people!!!!!!

Answer 2

To me, he will alway be hard to categorize.

A champ at 19, but a division that was not full of stellar competition.

The thing that makes him look great is that he dispatches of competition quickly early in his career. Many people think of him as a marauder and completely overlook the skill he actually possessed. He had good movement, defense, quickness and ring generalship. Most people just noticed the KO's...but totally ignore the methodology. Very masterful.

I actually look at his loss to Buster Douglas different than most. Tyson showed toughness. It took a lot of effort on Douglas' part to get him out of there. The guy didn't train and by then was pretty much the lunatic we all know now, and look at the effort it took to beat a distracted Tyson.

Additionally, most people think that fighters suddenly stopped fearing Tyson and that's what leads to Tyson looking pretty average. The real reason is that he started fighting flat footed and relied completely on power. He was too short to compete at heavyweight without using the movement and skill level he obviously possessed in the 80's.

How good could he have been if Cus had lived 15 more years? Likely one of the best. Unfortunately for Tyson.......he couldn't keep it together long enough to call him one of the greats. He didn't give us enough to make that judgement.

He certainly had the potential to be one of the best......that's why many people favor him in all these hypothethical match-up posted here.

Answer 3

Yes he can. Are you saying the top 5 ever then no but if you are talking top 15. Yes. He was incredible & he had to overcome obstacles such as losing 3 years of his prime while he was in jail. He like many other fighters fout past their prime & got beat. When Lennox beat him Tyson was past his prime & got whipped. He needed someone like Cus to live longer & guide him. If Cus would have lived until Mike was around 40 then Mike would have retired undefeated & he wouldn't have went to jail for 3 years either. He would have probably been 60-0. He was a greater heavyweight than Rocky Marciano. Muhammad Ali said when Tyson was in his prime that if they would have fought that when Mike hit him he would have went to sleep.

Answer 4

An interesting question. The usual ranking for such matters is over a career, and obviously Tyson has trouble there.

But for one fight -- at his best -- Tyson might rank as one of the top five in history. He had opponents beaten when they stepped in the ring. How many people could say that?

Ali, Louis, Dempsey, Marciano were all great for a long time, but Foreman is the only guy that was that ferocious.

Answer 5

Even before Buster Douglas (and his criminal issues) Tyson really couldn't fairly be considered the best boxer ever. While he certainly beat up everyone over a number of years, one can seriously question the quality of opponents in the heavyweight division during his prime.

That said, he certainly could qualify for "most intimidating" because that's what got him his wins, especially those first round knockouts...he was strong and fierce, but that makes a great gladiator, not a great boxer.

Answer 6

I never seen Ali fight, I'm too young. But when I watched Tyson, before he became a bum, he was an amazing boxer. The last Heavy Weight Champion of real greatness in my opinion.

OK, Lenux Lewis was pretty good too, but the rest? Bums.

Answer 7

Mike Tyson was greatest boxer of all time.Youngest heavyweight ever.Only reason why he fall down because he was too sensitive.After Cuz died he was not in control anymore.After that he ended up couple of years in jail, where he didnt train and he was also drug addict and on top of all he was not interested in fighting anymore.If Cuz lived long enough through his career and make sure that this savage is in controle, no one would ever defeate him.Prime Tyson would smash, holyfield, lewis, ali, foreman..............or any of does guys !

Answer 8

of course.... mike tyson had one of the most dominate heavyweight title reins in boxing history, not just beating guys but destroying guys by knockout. Mike tyson is the youngest man to ever win the heavyweight title and even to this date mike tyson still has a great record with losses to evander holyfield, lennox lewis, busta douglas(upset) and kevin mc bride(got mike when he was old). Mike Tsyon is going to go down as a dominating fighter in his prime whp just a little longer than he should have

Answer 9

Paulie is right, the best ever historically are considered the "best" as much for their social impact outside the ring and their conduct as honorable men as for their accomplishments in the ring against quality opposition.

Mike lacked sufficient quality opposition during his career in the ring, and Mike's had problems outside the ring damaged his creditability. He never impacted on society to the extent that former ring greats did, nor showed the character of a great champion during his reign as champion.

Tyson is currently the youngest heavyweight champion in heavyweight history, and a fairly heavy puncher by heavyweight standards, but by no means one of boxing's all time greats.

Answer 10

Once Again I say: " Could have, Should have...but wasn't". I still think Cus saw Tyson's potential for greatness but Cus passed away before Mike was able to reach this greatness.Tysons potential to achieve greatness died when Cus died.

Answer 11

tyson was the last person i consider to not be a but even he was a sad excuse for a boxer in my opinion...guys like ali frazier foreman liston....those were boxers...guys who could take a punch and throw one too....most boxing matches now are about guys you have never heard of and will not be hearing of after they retire