How would you breakdown the eras of Mike Tyson's career?

[MartialMind]

1986-1988: Young champ phenom

1989-1991: Post Rooney/Buster fight, decline, still great potential

1995-2005: Post prison, going through the motions, burning out.

[QueensburyRules]

- -Damato team- triple A + and the best ever at age 23.

DKing/Givens/Psycho meds tag team- A-

Post prison/bankruptcy- B-

Post career- seems some recovery possible without the team of sychophants hanging on him like leeches.

[cfang]

Young, hungry killer. Damato, jacobsm rooney, etc

Back from prison hard powerful but slower ****y

Over the hill paycheck heart not in it

Post retirement seems happy

[QueensburyRules]

- -Best outta ring fight when in a minor fender bender altercation, he kicked **** Har**** between the legs to drop the soft lad for the count and his second prison term.

Cain't make this sheet up!

[OctoberRed]

The final run was sad to watch. It just became a money grab after losing to Evander

[Sugarj]

The final run was sad to watch. It just became a money grab after losing to Evander

I quite enjoyed Tyson's run from Botha to Nielsen. Some of those performances were good to watch.

[DreamFighter]

1. immature prodigious phenom of elite ability 80s

2. post prison saunter, not interested in boxing other than to fulfil financial and career expectations of a successful comeback. 90s

3. cashcow 2000s

[PRINCEKOOL]

It was a exciting ride, every stage of his career. I can remember when Mike Tyson was fighting Danny Williams, and the crowd was chanting 'Tyson, Tyson, Tyson, Tyson' I always sensed that people wanted Mike Tyson to regain the heavyweight titles so bad.

Mike Tyson was probably one of the last real global boxing stars, MEGASTARS in sport. When he came to Manchester England and Scotland he had more supporters than the home fighters.

I can remember watching a video clip of a Scottish man, showing Mike Tyson all of his tattoo's of Tyson 'Which where all over his body' this man was emotional and close to crying embracing Mike Tyson 'He was a Icon'

When he came out of prison, as kid 'I can remember just seeing something on the news and thinking to myself? So this is the Mike Tyson I have heard so much about, I knew vaguely that Tyson was in jail' My idea of him was that he was a bad man 'I think my Mum/Mom may have stated that he was a bad man' While watching Mike Tyson appear on the news, and of course as a kid this moment was engraved inside of my mind 'As a child sometimes you looked to your parents for external feedback within your reality'

But overtime I was bought some documentaries 'And her opinion of him seemed to change' She would always buy me his pay per view events etc

The last part of his career was quite exciting, due to him attempting to recreate himself but still? You would see flashes of Iron Mike Tyson still inside. I always thought that when he came back from Jail 'His intimidation factor was at a all time high' that is what I always sensed.

Andrew Golota was no push over, but something about Mike Tyson shook him to his core.

[juggernaut666]

Sometimes all you need is a few fighters out of their primes to see how good a fighter actually was,

Go revisit the dominant era 90's HW Lennox Lewis two fights with Tucker and Bruno. Tyson not only made it look far easier even as a green fighter in 86 and later demolishing Bruno in 89 without Rooney but its how you win in general.


M.Tyson would have handled just about anyone if you can take him in his late teens to about 21 if he has a clear head.

If you could pick 3 guys to put in the 80's at their best to have the best chance to defeat him they would look like Vitali Klitchko, Lewis and Holyfield in the eras discussed here.

He fought 2 of them and that's NOT a BEST Tyson ,that Tyson beat very good boxers who he made look bad and what ppl ignore is the stronger the punchers were the more intense he got again look at the Bruno/Ruddock fights.....



Its no question the mid/late 90's were better fighters but they dint meet THAT Tyson so it works both ways ,however I just gave you TWO fighters that gave lewis problems at least more difficulties .In fact without M.Tyson most would say how competitive the 80's were but in fact it was crushed by one guy and …………...

[Offic.Scorecard]

I'd actually separate it in 4 eras


1985-1988 Prime Tyson at his peak in 1988 was probably the best heavyweight in H2H comparisons

1988-1991 Except him coming into the Douglas fight unprepared, he was still very good physically, but started throwing the strategy & skills out of window, more head hunting and concentrating on loading up on haymakers than on throwing quick combos, also using less of his head movement

1995-1997 Similar to previous era, just that his strategy, skills and speed eroded even more, but was still yound and in a decent shape

1998-2005 Even older, his physical abilities declined even more. Tried to re-invent himself and showed glimpses of his old self but no real success. Fighting to pay the debts.