Who Was The Most Complete Heavyweight Champ Skill Wise?

[QueensburyRules]

That would be his biggest flaw indeed, however I believe this is a problem he corrected a little later on in his career. It was a problem against Qawi, Cooper, Bowe etc. But it wasn't against Foreman, Tyson, Lewis etc.

- - He was hanging on George like a cheep suit unravelling in the championship rounds.

[ShoulderRoll]

Right. Some people still think Mike was a great inside fighter and looked to put his head on someone’s chest. Ridiculous. He actually constantly looked to the ref to separate them and create some space so he could slam in with a 1-2. That’s what worked for him. He got hit often on the clinch as other fighters were more willing to throw in that position than he was.
Yeah he had the right to the body followed by the right uppercut. A great combo for sure. Still he just kept throwing it until hopefully it landed. He was no counter puncher. He just cycled through his combos with no actual design to anything. He hit Holy with that body upper and Holy didn’t go anywhere. That’s what happens when you meet the other elite. Mike moved his head more often when no actual punch was coming. It’s was proactive more than reactive. He could pivot on a fighter early, but soon enough he became one of the most flat footed fighters ever in most of his fights. He had size 13.5 boots.
I love what he’s done for the sport and being overrated is a great compliment. It means the fans wanted him to win and admired his style. He’s overrated in actual ring skill. So many of his highlights are gym drills. As an attraction he was great.
Mike Tyson lost in the biggest supposed upset in history not someone else. That explains a lot.
People are sick of hearing it from me but the day after Tyson KO’d Spinks my old man told me a guy named Evander Holyfield will beat Mike Tyson. When they finally fought he only took even money from the patrons at the bar cause he didn’t want to ruin their night.

I have to take issue with this. As Tyson himself says, he had short arms so his preferred place in a fight was inside and he was indeed great at it. Whether or not he put his head on someone's chest is irrelevant.

He was an aggressive counter puncher. His offense was triggered by drawing punches from his opponent then making them miss with head movement and footwork ("springs and twists") then countering with combinations off that. That was totally by design. It should go without saying that D'Amato equipped him with more combos than just the right to the body/right uppercut. If we are talking "old school bag of tricks" then Cus takes a backseat to no one as he was as old school as they come.

This young lady until recently was trained at the Catskills gym by a trainer with direct lineage to D'Amato. All the fundamentals of the style are there because his method was complete and well-thought out.

[The Old LefHook]

Whoever thinks Tyson was a great inside fighter is probably confused as to exactly what in-fighting is. Tyson was a mid range fighter. His arms were short, so he was indeed close to his man for his ideal strike, but not as close as in-fighting dictates. He was a poor inside fighter who could not fight in clinches at all. He was in range for those short arms...but wanted even more room before he would punch.

Mike is an ATG currently out of favor. It would not be fair to leave him out of an AT mythical tournament. The man never fought that Mike didn't have at least a decent chance to KO, even where he might be an underdog.

Answering another question: Why do I call Ali Clay? I have an awful lot of respect for his mother.

[Willie Pep 229]

Whoever thinks Tyson was a great inside fighter is probably confused as to exactly what in-fighting is. Tyson was a mid range fighter. His arms were short, so he was indeed close to his man for his ideal strike, but not as close as in-fighting dictates. He was a poor inside fighter who could not fight in clinches at all. He was in range for those short arms...but wanted even more room before he would punch.

Mike is an ATG currently out of favor. It would not be fair to leave him out of an AT mythical tournament. The man never fought that Mike didn't have at least a decent chance to KO, even where he might be an underdog.

Answering another question Why do I call Ali Clay? I have an awful lot of respect for his mother.

Have you actually convinced yourself that I started the "whole conservative/******* thing"?

You have done nothing but bait ******** since the first day I encountered you.

Call the man Ali! Respect!

[The Old LefHook]

Have you actually convinced yourself that I started the "whole conservative/******* thing"?

You have done nothing but bait ******** since the first day I encountered you.

Call the man Ali! Respect!

Baited ******** since the day you got here? Your hyperbole is what I expect from a man with no actual case.I hardly ever speak politics on here. You are the one who wants to badly, I can easily tell. I'm sorry snowflake if you didn't feel safe when I replied in kind.

Baited ******** since the day you got here, you say? I have to call that a lie, which is what I expect from a ******* who can't win otherwise. Mister Philosopher. How about mister ******* the mendacious philosopher.? Hey, let's go have a riot, tear some statues down, close struggling businesses and defund some cops. You want to? Damned rights you do, Sally.

[The Old LefHook]

By the way, I challenge anyone to find a post of mine older than about two weeks which uses the word ""*******," in any political sense, to shut this guy up who claims I do nothing but talk politics on here, when I almost never mention it. He wanted to get frisky. He must feel he owes me one from some time back. We have disciplined each other before. He now calls by his actions for a piece of me. Okay, then. Right here or in the Dome; on the hills and in the streets; in the alleys and boulevards, in the rest homes and the restaurants.

[Willie Pep 229]

Some athletes: Cassius Clay, Lew Alcindor, Matt Franklin, Dwight Braxton

[Ivich]

Whoever thinks Tyson was a great inside fighter is probably confused as to exactly what in-fighting is. Tyson was a mid range fighter. His arms were short, so he was indeed close to his man for his ideal strike, but not as close as in-fighting dictates. He was a poor inside fighter who could not fight in clinches at all. He was in range for those short arms...but wanted even more room before he would punch.

Mike is an ATG currently out of favor. It would not be fair to leave him out of an AT mythical tournament. The man never fought that Mike didn't have at least a decent chance to KO, even where he might be an underdog.

Answering another question: Why do I call Ali Clay? I have an awful lot of respect for his mother.

So you call
Jersey Joe Walcott Arnold Cream?
Joe Louis Joe Barrow?
Ray Robinson Walker Smith?
Tommy Burns Noah Brusso?
Willie Pep Guglielmo Papaleo?
Archie Moore Archie Wright?
Joey Maxim Guiseppe Berardineli?
Rocky Marciano Rocco Marchegiano?
Jack Sharkey Joseph Zukauskas?
Rocky Graziano Tommy Barbella?
**** Tiger **** Ihetu?
Freddie Steele Freddie Burgett?
Sammy Mandell Saverio Mandala?
Barney Ross Beryl Rosovsky?
HenryArmstrong Henry Jackson?
Benny Leonard Benny Leiner?
Jack Dillon Ernest Cutler?
Mathew Saad Muhammad Maxwell Loach?
Eddie Mustafa Muhammad Eddie Gregory?
Or don't you respect their Mothers?

[BKM-]

He didn't even know what he was converting to. Some whack a doo cult copying a religion he knew nothing about. He was a young, dumb impressionable guy who got brainwashed by con men. Turning this into a whole Ali-Clay debate is a waste of time.

[GhostofDempsey]

I would say Holyfield, Tunney, Charles, Lewis and Louis would be my top picks for most complete. Every fighter has a flaw or bad habit, whether it’s Louis’ tendency to drop his left, or Holyfield’s head butting, I would still cite these five as text book boxers who demonstrate all of the fundamentals of a well rounded fighter.