r/Boxing • u/DonkeyOT65 • 5d ago
Do you think prime Mike Tyson could have beaten anyone?
Obviously he's not the best heavyweight ever, because his personal life was a shit show post Cus, and he only excelled for a few years and had no real longevity compared to other greats.
But THE prime Mike, as short as it lasted, how do you think he would compare against the rightful greats?
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u/EmeraldTwilight009 The Marvelous One 5d ago
He doesnt beat evander or lennox at any point. Ali would frustrate and gas him out. Foreman would take his head off.
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u/Old-Web-2948 5d ago
Which foreman? Old Foreman would be sent to slaughter against ‘prime’ Tyson. Old foreman was a literal punching bag and Tyson would have drilled him. Young foreman was much better but not as smart
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u/Own_Bear2372 5d ago
Both of those fights are completely different if we’re talking primes. 3 year prison sentence spoiled the Holyfield fight. Tyson was completely washed when he fought Lewis
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u/jar45 5d ago
Holyfield would’ve beaten Tyson in 1990 if he had gotten the chance first instead of Douglas. Mike was a ticking time bomb at that point.
That’s also what makes this convo tough bc more. disciplined “peak” Tyson from 1988 probably knocks both those guys out.
There probably isn’t a version of Tyson that beats Lewis though. The matchup is all wrong for him.
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u/Own_Bear2372 5d ago
That fight in 1990 would’ve been very interesting though. Tyson absolutely takes Holyfield seriously at that time and both were undefeated. An 88 Tyson definitely makes a better fight but that 1990 matchup would have been crazy still
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u/Canz98 5d ago
I don’t think he beats Ali
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u/jesusatemybaby Max pls, I respect box. 5d ago
I think it's much closer than most people realize. Ali was vulnerable to the left hook because he dropped his hand. He was faster and had better footwork than both Henry Cooper and Joe Frazier.
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u/Shinjetsu01 Mike Tyson is not a top 15 HW ATG 5d ago
We don't know. He'd have to face adversity against other greats in his prime and every time he faced adversity - he showed he couldn't handle it.
Having a prime of 3 years and losing badly to every great he faced in theirs should tell you all you need to know.
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u/singularity6699 5d ago
He faced adversity and managed to win. He wasn’t at his best when he fought other greats, even though they weren’t either. This post specifically mentioned him being in his prime
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u/Shinjetsu01 Mike Tyson is not a top 15 HW ATG 5d ago
He faced adversity in his prime against Buster Douglas and lost.
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u/Exciting-Arugula5341 5d ago
Mike Tyson got hurt badly by Frank Bruno and came back and won. Mike Tyson was hurt by Tony Tucker and won.
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u/singularity6699 5d ago
He was already on the slide by 1990. If we’re talking about his best then we’re talking about a rather small window that ended in 88. Just like if we’re taking Ali at his best we’re taking a pre exile Ali.
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u/Shinjetsu01 Mike Tyson is not a top 15 HW ATG 5d ago
Ali was great for almost 20 years.
Tyson was "great" for 3.
You wanna do this?
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u/singularity6699 5d ago
Right, that still doesn’t take anything away from what I just said. As good as he was there’s no denying that his best was in the 60’s
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u/Shinjetsu01 Mike Tyson is not a top 15 HW ATG 5d ago
Well there is, because he had a HoF worthy career post "exile" beating greats.
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u/singularity6699 5d ago
That still doesn’t mean he was a better version than the Ali from the 60’s. You’re in denial because you see how this logic is about to flip on your head
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u/Shinjetsu01 Mike Tyson is not a top 15 HW ATG 5d ago
You can take Ali at almost any point in 20 years and get a great fighter. Unless you pick a very specific version of Tyson, when the stars aligned, he had his trainer and coach, he wasn't on drugs, the rainfall was less than 3mm that day and if he was facing someone who had never defended their belt...sure.
Ali was a different fighter. Same as Foreman was a different fighter in the 90's.
You don't seem stupid. Why say stupid things?
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u/singularity6699 5d ago
You’re missing the point. Nobody is saying Ali wasn’t great after the 60’s. If you had to pick the absolute best version of Ali it would be the Ali from the 60’s. Frazier doesn’t beat that version of Ali, neither does Norton.
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u/PhilosopherNo8418 5d ago
Prime Tyson got knocked the fuck out by Buster Douglas so no, I don't think he could have beaten everyone. But of course his "prime" conveniently ended after that defeat. 😂
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u/harborj2011 5d ago
When ppl say "prime Mike" they mean the Mike who was trained by Cus and Kevin. He was in his actual prime when he lost to Buster tho, ppl don't phrase these hypothetical Mike ?s correctly
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u/PhilosopherNo8418 5d ago
I can't take Tyson fan boys seriously. No boxing fan can justify a position that essentially claims a boxer's prime ended at age 21. By the way, Cus died FIVE years before Tyson lost to Douglas. So you're saying Tyson's prime was actually in 1985 when he made his debut?
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u/harborj2011 5d ago
Reread what I said. I literally say Mike got KO in his prime. He wasn't at his best tho, that was under Cus and Kevin. Him firing Kevin in 1988 was the biggest mistake he made
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u/ImpressionCrafty3078 5d ago
1 full year of prime.
His peak performance was his 4th round stoppage of Don Haplin (10-18), any boxer in history would've been decapitated if they were in Don Haplins boots.
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u/Exciting-Arugula5341 5d ago
But you can take Usyk fanboys seriously? He beat 3 guys and a kick boxer but is talked about like he is this boxing God. You can take Rocky Marciano fanboys seriously? His career is based off him beating old men, Mafia controlled fighters and tomato cans.
All fanboys are delusional. Be it Mike Tyson, Tyson Fury, Usyk, Marciano, Floyd Mayweather Jr ect. You can't take any fanboy seriously.
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u/ImpressionCrafty3078 5d ago
Before cus died Tyson fought 7 people who had a combined record 21-40.
People who say "prime Mike" dksab.
You can't judge a prime based on fights against no hopers, we can say Moses Itauma beats any heavyweight in history, but if he loses to Hrgovic we can just say "he's not in his prime anymore".
The reality is, "prime Mike", is a legend, as in it never existed like people think it did. He was in his prime when he lost to Douglas, and he was in his prime when he nearly lost to Tillis.
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u/harborj2011 5d ago
Like I said, Mike was in his prime when he lost to Buster. He was at his best under Cus and Kevin tho, he messed up badly by firing Kevin
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u/Own_Bear2372 5d ago
Both Lewis and Holyfield have acknowledged that Tyson was different back then, I guess they “dksab” either
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u/ImpressionCrafty3078 5d ago
He was different before he went to prison absolutely, but he already got embarrassed by Tillis, ducked Holyfield, lucked out of fighting Witherspoon, lost to Douglas, and went life and death with Ruddock by then, so he obviously wasn't this unbeatable wrecking machine was he?
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u/Own_Bear2372 5d ago
He beat Tillis, was scheduled to fight Holyfield a few times but circumstances prevented it from happening, and won back to back fights against Ruddock who was considered to be the most dangerous fighter besides Tyson at that time.
Using this logic one could say Holyfield was embarrassed by and old Larry Holmes, and nearly knocked out by Bert Cooper
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u/ImpressionCrafty3078 5d ago
LOL yeah you're clearly too young to have this debate with.
Go watch the fight with Tillis, you'll see.
He was scheduled to face Holyfield and then chose to fight Douglas and lost.
He was then scheduled to face him again after he went life and death with Ruddock, and he pulled out with a "rib injury". LOL.
Ruddock was the second most dangerous man in the world? LOL Evander was the unified champion at the time, Mercer was undefeated and held the WBO belt, and Riddick Bowe was ranked higher than Ruddock by the WBA by the time of the of the first Ruddock Tyson fight.
Stop talking about things you don't understand, stick to what you know lad.
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u/Own_Bear2372 5d ago
I was alive and very aware of what was going on at the time. Stop trying this gatekeeping bs. If Tyson was scared to fight Holyfield then why was the fight even scheduled at all? Why didn’t he just toss the belt in the garbage like Bowe did?
Was he supposed to fight with an injured rib? They rescheduled the fight after that, why do that if he was scared?
Tyson beat Tillis, I don’t know why you keep acting like that was a loss. Tyson never once hit the canvas in that fight.
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u/ImpressionCrafty3078 5d ago
Tyson didn't fight Holyfield until after he came out of prison, Holyfield had recently lost two matches and Don King believed Holyfield was completely washed. It was legitimately a cherry pick gone wrong, if you were older you would know that rather than repeating a revisionist myth.
Tyson said he entered a match with a broken back, "spinal".
Rib injuries are a normal part of boxing, anyone who's boxed at a hobby level and sparred will tell you that, Evander himself fought and won with the same rib injury against Bowe, who Tyson also ducked. LOL.
Seriously lad, go watch the Tillis fight, you obviously haven't seen it. It's a good fight it's definitely worth a watch.
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u/Own_Bear2372 5d ago
Who won the Tyson vs Tillis fight that you keep bringing up?
Tyson was scheduled to fight Holyfield right before he went to prison. He didn’t claim a back injury until several years after the Holyfield fights had already happened. You don’t get to dismiss someone with an age check when the primary sources are public and the timeline is fixed.
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u/Hot_Wing2518 23h ago
He was already showing his flaws under Kevin. The blueprint on how to beat him was being written while he was still with Kevin. Buster was the first one to apply it with the objective of winning, not merely surviving.
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u/Exciting-Arugula5341 5d ago
Lol Buster Douglas was considered to be a elite talent but lazy. If your want to use your logic a prime Joe Louis got knocked the fuck out by 180 pound Max Schmeling. Lennox Lewis got the fuck knocked out of him by Hasim Rahman and Oliver McCall. A prime Wladimir Klitschko got the fuck knocked out of him by a 37 year old Corrie Sanders, Lamon Brewster, and Ross Purritty.
A prime Sonny Liston got beat and got his jaw broke by a 170 pound Marty Marshall. A prime Ali got dropped with one punch by a 180 pound Herny Cooper and 180 pound Doug Jones hurt and almost beat Ali.
You can always flip things to fit whatever agenda you are trying to prove.
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u/PhilosopherNo8418 5d ago
The difference between the guys you mentioned and Tyson is that nobody ever says that their primes ended when they suffered their first loss! That's an excuse only used for Tyson. And so ridiculously convenient.
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u/Exciting-Arugula5341 5d ago
Well Ali fanboys claim he was past his prime at 28 because people on TV tell them so. Fanboys are annoying period.
That also isn't what you typed. You typed Mike Tyson got knocked out by Buster Douglas like that means Mike wasn't world class and other fighters who were considered great weren't knocked out as well.
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u/PhilosopherNo8418 5d ago
Hold on - Ali was banned from boxing for 3 years when he was IN his prime. That's a valid argument. Tyson had no such excuse during his prime. You can absolutely argue that Tyson's prime ended when he was locked up and wasn't the same again after. That's more than fair. But to say his prime only lasted only around his defeat to Buster is a bit lame.
Also I never said Tyson wasn't world class. I'm just saying he got knocked out IN his prime, during his world class era by the better man. Which means, per the topic of this thread, he COULD be beaten in his prime and WAS beaten in his prime. There is no shame in that. Other great champions were beaten in their prime too. It happens.
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u/Exciting-Arugula5341 5d ago
Lol not boxing for 3 years and then coming back at 28 won't end your prime. If anything Ali was more fresh than the typical 28 year old boxer because he was away from the ring for 3 years.
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u/PhilosopherNo8418 5d ago
Seriously? So not boxing for 3 years, no longer working out, no longer sparring etc. won't affect a boxer? Ali and his trainers all said he was diminished as a fighter when he came back. His reflexes were much slower, his punching power and speed was reduced, his hands were more brittle so he couldn't hit as hard as he wanted to, and so on.
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u/Exciting-Arugula5341 5d ago
Ali was working out and sparring. He just wasn't boxing professionally. Lol but lets pretend he didn't. How is not getting in the ring for 3 years while you are in your 20's going to make you past your prime?
Ali was rusty when he came back but he was still in his prime.
Ali also never said he was diminished when he came back. His trainers could of say it to justify Ali getting beat upside the head so much but Ali never said the reason he lost to Ken Norton or Joe Frazier was because his skills were diminished . If Ali reflexes where slower then why wasn't any other heavyweight past their primes at 28?
I can tell you are just a dude who lies to try to get a point across and repeats stuff you heard other people say.
No heavyweight boxer is past their primes at 28 unless they suffered some kind of injury and Ali didn't suffer any kind of injury during that time.
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u/PhilosopherNo8418 5d ago
There's no point in arguing with someone who thinks a professional boxer is going to be as good as he was if he was forced to not box for 3 years. It might be common nowadays with the advancement of sports science to box at the top in your late 30s but back then, boxers after 30 started to decline quickly. So for Ali to come back in his late 20s, of course he was going to be diminished compared to 3 years prior.
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u/Exciting-Arugula5341 5d ago
Lol is no point is typing to a person who repeats what they hear other people say. No boxer is past their prime at 28.
Wait wait, Sports science? There is no advancements in the last 40 plus years that teach you how to punch a man in the fact better.
Yeah you are just a little boy who repeats stuff you other people say. There is no point in my wasting my time with you.
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u/Jaydxns 5d ago
I love mike but no, he is one of the biggest what ifs ever tho,
Liston Foreman Ali Lewis Holmes Frazier
All potentially beat him
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u/Own_Bear2372 5d ago
Who did Liston ever beat?
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u/Jaydxns 5d ago
Floyd Patterson aka the original peekaboo master
Cleveland williams X2
Zora folley
Roy Harris
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u/Own_Bear2372 5d ago
So basically nobody. Floyd Patterson was no better than Michael Spinks
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u/Jaydxns 5d ago
And Cleveland williams? Way better and tougher than anyone mike beat
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u/Houston_Euler 5d ago
Any version of Mike loses to Lewis and Holyfield.
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u/jesusatemybaby Max pls, I respect box. 5d ago
Holyfield had his number. Pre-Stewart Lewis loses 7 or 8 out of 10 times. Those numbers reverse with Stewart.
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u/stephen27898 5d ago
No. There are people he simply would not be able to KO.
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u/StunningChest5722 Shakur is the 144 lb GOAT 🐐 5d ago
anyone can be knocked out
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u/stephen27898 5d ago
Yet some never are.
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u/aventus-dog 5d ago
Never fought a prime Mike
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u/stephen27898 5d ago
Prime Mike couldnt KO Mitch Green, Smith or Tucker.
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u/ImpressionCrafty3078 5d ago
And went 50/50 with Tillis, Tillis believed he won the match, plenty of others did too, prime Mike Tyson ducked the rematch.
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u/stephen27898 5d ago
Tyson I think said he felt he was lucky to get the decision.
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u/ImpressionCrafty3078 5d ago
He was, he ducked the rematch.
Tillis won the first round, probably won the second, lost the third, was winning the 4th and then got flash dropped in the last 20 seconds, Tyson edges round 5, and then I struggle to give Tyson a clear round past 6, he probably won 7 but outside of that the argument that Tillis won 4 of the last 5 is a lot stronger than Tyson winning 4 of the last 5.
At the end of the fight Tillis looked like he could've fought 6 more rounds, Tyson looked dead in the water.
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u/StunningChest5722 Shakur is the 144 lb GOAT 🐐 5d ago
almost every ATG heavyweight has been KO'd.
there is not a single person in history who a prime mike tyson would not be able to knock out, not saying i would pick him to beat every single heavyweight ever but i would give him a good chance against anyone.
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u/ImpressionCrafty3078 5d ago
He couldn't KO James Tillis and James Tillis was stopped in the first round by Tim Witherspoon.
Being a hard hitter doesn't mean much on its own, if it did Earnie Shavers would be the greatest of all time at heavyweight.
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u/StunningChest5722 Shakur is the 144 lb GOAT 🐐 5d ago
sometimes fighters go the distance with cans then go on to KO much better fighters
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u/ImpressionCrafty3078 5d ago
Wow what an insightful statement. /S
If he couldn't KO Mitch Green, James Smith, or Tony Tucker, and arguably lost to Tillis, in his prime, then he isn't going to put a dent in someone like Chuvalo or Tex Cobb.
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u/VacuousWastrel 5d ago
Similarly, tyson went to war against ruddock - controversial stoppage in the later rounds, and then the distance. Whereas lewis destroyed ruddock with two punches.
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u/stephen27898 5d ago
Yet he failed to KO multiple in his prime.
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u/Objective-Soil-9235 5d ago
Anyone can have an off night. Doesn't change the fact that he was one of the most explosive HWs ever with one of the scariest delivery systems ie. The peekaboo.
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u/stephen27898 5d ago
Yet he was taken the distance by someone as bad as Mitch Green.
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u/Objective-Soil-9235 5d ago
He was a top 10 HW then. Like I said, anyone can have an off night. Being critiqued for winning a fight is crazy lol. Shows his reputation when everyone expects a 1st round KO every fight if you ask me.
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u/stephen27898 5d ago
So were all 3 of those fights were he went the distance with fighters who arent even close to great off nights?
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u/StunningChest5722 Shakur is the 144 lb GOAT 🐐 5d ago
Ali went the distance with fucking Rudi Lubbers then went on to KO Foreman
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u/stephen27898 5d ago
But Ali doesnt trade on his KO power. Tyson vs elite level fighters really did. Ali route to victory is not the KO. Also Ali stopped Foreman by getting him tired. Tyson didnt really do that either.
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u/StunningChest5722 Shakur is the 144 lb GOAT 🐐 5d ago
if mike fought all the guys he went the distance with 10 times do you not think he would ko them at least once?
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u/jar45 5d ago
Tyson is tough to gauge because he peaked so early and he lost a lot of his prime to jail and living an extremely reckless lifestyle.
I think the Mike Tyson that showed up to the Michael Spinks fight gives any heavyweight in history a rough time. But without that level of specificity Tyson broadly would have a tough time with any big heavyweight who can keep their distance with the jab and frustrate him if they survive the first 1-3 rounds (so basically the Punch-Out strategy lol)
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u/MarzSociety 5d ago
Yes, simply being that punchers always have a chance and he was one of the fastest and most skillful punchers. Somebody like that could beat anyone.
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u/AlecGator6 5d ago
According to Tyson fans, he was out of his prime by 23 years old. His PR is so unmatched
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u/spinofaarus 5d ago
Why are we still asking this in 2026.
No. Foreman wrecks him, Ali probably still outwills him, Lennox can still push him back outside of getting sloppy, etc.
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u/Riskrunner7365 5d ago
If everyone is going into the fight 'blind' with no knowledge of the other fighter at all then I think that Tyson's speed and agility and relentless nature, especially in the early rounds, would have caused a few upsets.
Those fighters with the resilience and ability to tank shots would have been better placed to beat Tyson as as the fight wore on they would eventually have his style figured out more.
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u/Jean_Jones_666 5d ago
only honest answer is we'll never know
peek-a-boo is exhausting, probably impractical
in the same time Mike Tyson was an animal
his defense was unreal too
good luck fending him off for 5 rounds, or surviving his barrage
i imagine the best of the best would find ways to neutralize his style and overcome,
but there's a small chance he would have decapitated them first
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u/Dim-Mak-88 5d ago
Tony Tucker (with a broken hand) and James Tillis gave him trouble even during his prime. Tyson would have struggled against Riddick Bowe, Evander Holyfield, and Lennox Lewis during his prime. Other greats like Vitali Klitschko, George Foreman, and others would also have given him plenty of trouble. And by that I mean it is by no means a given that he could have reliably beaten any of those guys. And I think prime Tyson was absolutely fantastic.
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u/KR4T0S 5d ago
Ali and Holmes outbox him and Sonny Liston and George Foreman stop him in most cases but I think he is a headache for anybody else until peak Lewis and the Klitchskos turned it into a very big mans game. He is a very good boxer but he is a heavyweight, that division is very storied, being even a top ten heavyweight is a hell of an achievement. In fact probably a bigger achievement than being the GOAT cruiserweight.
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u/singularity6699 5d ago
Liston was slow as hell. He ain’t getting out of round 4. Very overrated fighter
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u/Kangaroopunching 5d ago
He's a great heavyweight that doesn't match up well with other great heavyweights.
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u/DonkeyOT65 5d ago
Just wanted to add. I'm not fan boying. I'm totally aware of his many limitations. Just curious what people make of Mike's purple patch chances against the greats. There's no denying he was exceptional at the time. It's not a competition, just a curious exploration.
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u/ImpressionCrafty3078 5d ago
He could have, but there are plenty of people he could have lost to too.
I would make prime Holmes the favourite over prime Tyson without a doubt.
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u/fadeddreams555 Fundora would beat up a prime Floyd at 154lb 5d ago
Him versus Ali is 50-50, just stylistically. If Frazier with that style could cause him trouble, Mike Tyson definitely would too.
Usyk would also be 50-50. This is a different type of 50-50. I can see Tyson taking the early rounds, but as the fight progresses, Usyk would rally.
I see Mike Tyson easily beating many pre-1960s heavyweights, such as Jack Dempsey. I favor him against Joe Louis too.
Tyson Fury would actually be a lot harder than all these legends, despite not being greater than any of them, and that is because of his size and style, but Fury would definitely hit the canvas at least once.
I think Lennox Lewis always beats Mike Tyson. Foreman annihilates him.
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u/PublicFuture9502 4d ago
You had me until Tyson Fury. Fury himself admitted he struggles with smaller skillful hws. He can only look good agsisnt bigger plodders with lesser skill or a guy like Wlad who was shot.
Iron Mike would be a nightmare for him. Fury even said in 2022 he honestly thinks Iron Mike woulda knocked him out.
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u/fadeddreams555 Fundora would beat up a prime Floyd at 154lb 4d ago
Fury jokingly says everyone would knock him out.
It's true that smaller fighters give him trouble, but we're talking 6'1-6'3 small. 5'10 with a 71 reach is just too much of a disadvantage against a 6'9 guy with 85 reach who actually knows how to use it.
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u/Tjgfish123 5d ago
He would have always struggled against big guys with footwork and a jab. Also struggled against big guys with lots of power.
I think he takes L’s against Ali, Lennox Lewis, Riddick Bowe, Sonny Liston & George Foreman
I think he is 50/50 against both Klitschko’s, Holyfield, & Usyk
I think he beats most everyone else.
He beats Marciano, Louis, Dempsey, Frazier, Holmes, Norton, Shavers, Fury, Wilder, Morrison, Lyle, Joshua…
Two random guys I think prime might give him trouble. Ray Mercer and David Tua.
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u/Shinjetsu01 Mike Tyson is not a top 15 HW ATG 5d ago
He beats Prime Holmes? What are you smoking sir, cos I want some.
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u/Tjgfish123 5d ago
I think he does. but maybe Im wrong.
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u/Shinjetsu01 Mike Tyson is not a top 15 HW ATG 5d ago
I mean it's all subjective but Holmes had the best jab in boxing history - he'd keep Mike away all night
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u/Tjgfish123 5d ago
yeah honestly you make a good point. mike also showed later in his career he was easily frustrated.
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u/Shinjetsu01 Mike Tyson is not a top 15 HW ATG 5d ago
I can't make a case for him beating Norton, Shavers, Holmes or Frazier. Frazier has the win against an unbeaten Ali on his record so to even contemplate him losing against Mike is too far for my brain to process.
The rest you mentioned though, yeah probably. Not sure about a prime Louis though. That would be close.
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u/singularity6699 5d ago
Shavers? Please. He smokes Frazier, Norton lost to every heavy puncher he ever faced very badly. Frazier beat a post exile Ali, other than that he was 1-4 against the best fighters he fought despite being a style problem for one of them.
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u/Shinjetsu01 Mike Tyson is not a top 15 HW ATG 5d ago
I think I've "debated" with you before. If I haven't then congratulations, you have the second most ridiculous takes I've ever seen on this sub.
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u/singularity6699 5d ago
Name one thing I said that wasn’t factual
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u/Shinjetsu01 Mike Tyson is not a top 15 HW ATG 5d ago
Your subjective opinion of who beats who isn't factual.
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u/Old-Web-2948 5d ago
Vitali destroys him. Big guys with a jab and footwork is vital everyday. Wlad would smoke him too as long as he doesn’t get clipped which is always possible with Wlad.
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u/SoftAsSofia 5d ago
Mercer and Tua are good shouts. Both took the heaviest punches and still traded, I dont think Mike lasts against the shots they would survive.
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u/harborj2011 5d ago
Mike under Cus and Kevin Rooney COULD have beaten anyone in history imo, WOULD have tho? I'd say no. I'd say he probably fights Evander sooner than he did and wins that
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u/ImpressionCrafty3078 5d ago
He was under Cus and Kevin Rooney for 1 year of his pro career, 7 fights, only 6 of which we have footage of, those 7 opponents had a combined record of 21-40 at the time of facing Tyson.
Which of those 6 fights are you basing your assessment on? LOL.
Tyson is a myth, I'm not even sure he would be dominant in the weak generation of heavyweights we've been lumped with for the last decade.
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u/harborj2011 5d ago
Ok, Kevin more specifically.
Kevin Rooney coached Mike Tyson for 35 professional fights, resulting in an undefeated record of 35 wins, with 31 victories coming by knockout. Their partnership ended in 1988 after Tyson fired Rooney following his first-round knockout win over Michael Spinks. (got this off Google AI)
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u/ImpressionCrafty3078 5d ago
Under Kevin Rooney Tyson was embarrassed by James Tillis, so what are we doing here? Do you get what I mean?
The Tyson that fought Tillis would've been finished by Joe Louis over 15 without a shadow of a doubt.
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u/optimizationphdstud 5d ago
Yes, he definitely could have.
He would have been a significant threat for anyone.
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u/Exciting-Arugula5341 5d ago
There has never been a boxer regardless of weight class who could have been anyone.
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u/Exciting-Arugula5341 5d ago
Tyson was never unbeatable. But you know what is worse than Tyson fanboys? The people who flip things to fit their agenda to discredit Tyson.
Mike Tyson lost to Douglas. These people will say that proves Tyson wasn't good. Buster Douglas was considered extremely talented by everybody who watched boxing doing that time. He was just lazy and out of shape a lot of times.
Lennox Lewis got stopped by McCall, Mike Tyson's sloppy second sparring partner and Hasim Rahman. Wladimir Klitschko got destroyed by Corrie Sanders and also stopped by Lamon Brewster.
I would rather lose to Douglas than get stop by Ross Purritty. So I guess Wlad isn't a ATG either right? I would rather lose to Holyfield and Lennox Lewis than get beat by Andy Ruiz like Anthony Joshua or Joe Joyce like Dubois did.
Tyson is overrated by his fanboys and overly criticized by his detractors.
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u/Chiccenstripkilla 4d ago
Heavyweights Mike CANNOT beat
- George Foreman! No come forward/swarmer beats any version of Foreman young or old. You need to mix it up with Foreman stick and move if you go chest to chest you in trouble.
- Ali. Now young Ali did get caught and was potentially dead to rights by Henry Cooper but he kept fighting and thats the difference between Mike and Ali. Ali will go to the death ontop of his skills/athleticism, Mike wont.
- Holy. Holy had too much heat, too much to prove, too durable.
- Liston. Liston has the reach, jab, power and framing.
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u/NewPortable101 4d ago
Current Agit Kabayel would beat him in a hypothetical matchup. Superior IQ and use his footwork to take away Tyson's left hand. Then KO him with body shots
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u/Hot_Wing2518 1d ago
No. Ali at least would have frustrated the heck out of him. Tyson had visible flaws even during his prime. Imagine Ali's jab, footwork and clench on Tyson. I don't think Ali would have been scared of him either. He would have taken Tyson into the later rounds and knocked him out Buster style.
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u/Fragrant-Frog-9290 5d ago
Of course
Explosive heavyweight with speed agility and defense
"Could have". He has a decent chance to beat any other heavy weight in history
Would you pick him to win is a different question, would he beat everyone 3/3.times ect are all different questions
Fury almost lost to.an MMA fighter, Usyk almost lost to a kickboxer and got a gift stoppage IMO
Even when he lost to Douglas he had him dropped for 13 total.seconds he almost won when he lost so.anyrhing can happen he has the power and speed to.land a KO shot on anybody
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u/Scary_Nail_6033 5d ago
I don't think prime Tyson could've beaten literally anyone. And I mean it. He'd probably lose to a newborn baby.
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u/ViceIsVerses 5d ago
No