who could stop tyson back in the day?

[Mr. Ryan]

Sonny Liston for one, he was significantly stronger and was mobile and had the jab to stop him in his tracks. Larry Holmes and Muhammad Ali in their primes would have also beat him.

[pound 5 pound]

acutally most of the boxers he fought had what it took to stop him

It was the mental part that made them lose, like Holyfield I bet 1000 dollars the samething would have happened if he would have fought him instead of Tevor Berbick

[Abe Attell]

Where as Tyson lost whenever he got knocked down!

That's because when Tyson was down, he was basically finished. He didn't suffer from flash-knockdowns or getting knocked down by one punch or a combo in the early to mid rounds. No, it was after a severe beating, his will to stay up until he was completly shot to death.


not his fault he had a good chin and could take punishment

[Abe Attell]

acutally most of the boxers he fought had what it took to stop him

It was the mental part that made them lose, like Holyfield I bet 1000 dollars the samething would have happened if he would have fought him instead of Tevor Berbick

That is like saying that most fighters could beat Foreman, Ali, Louis, etc. , it was all mental.

Mentality is a strength, it is your job to build it if you can.

If they were scared, it was because they knew they were out-matched.

Tyson wasn't a 7'0 foot giant that weighed 300lbs solid muscle, no, he was shorter than most, and weighed 220.

It was his skill/ability, his style, attitude, power, that made them fear him.

When Tyson left Rooney, the way of D'amato was over. D'amato taught toughness and increased Tyson's mental edge. Tyson, when in shape, when properly prepared, was a bad ass MF. Tyson not trained, is weaker mentally.

[Abe Attell]

When it comes down to it, its about who wants it more, not who has the better technique or punches.
The fights where Tyson went the distance, he dominated. Frazier and Marciano had a few fights where they had to keep perservering and make comeback knockouts. Tyson never did that. He never faced somone who made him dig deep like that.

That's because Tyson had great skills, and Marciano didn't.

If Tyson fought the guys Marciano fought, he would look better than Marciano, but of course if that were to happen, you would use your arguement that Tyson wasn't fighting somebody that could push him back.

This is like saying how great Gatti is because he has come back from being knockdown, but Mayweather is **** because he has never comeback from adversity. Not Mayweather's fault he is a step above.


And Ruddock did make Tyson dig deep. All after Rooney, which was a weaker mental Tyson. If you look at Tyson in the corner, you can see he doesn't want to be there, but when the bell sounds for the round, he goes out and does his business the best he can (at that point in his career).


Tyson was stunned against Bruno, came back...stunned against Ruddock, came back. This is the same as being knockdown, since it would have knockdown others, but Tyson had the chin/will to continue standing.

Tyson's legs are tree-trunks, another reason why he remained standing for a while.

Of course they would rot in prison.

[Southpaw Stinger]

That's because when Tyson was down, he was basically finished. He didn't suffer from flash-knockdowns or getting knocked down by one punch or a combo in the early to mid rounds. No, it was after a severe beating, his will to stay up until he was completly shot to death.


not his fault he had a good chin and could take punishment

But thats the kind of thing that seperates a good fighter from a great fighter. A great fighter fights past his physical limmit, he continues to fight where others would stay down. Continues to throw punchers even when his arms are dead and has no energy left.

A great fighter picks himself up and fights on til the end no matter what. win or lose they fight on.

[Abe Attell]

Yea but Tyson was hitting him with everything and Ribalta had nothing to fire back with.
Id say Bonecrusher Smith tested Tysons paitence with all that holding, and Pinklon Thomas was doing well for a few rounds, but Tyson was being lazy until Rooney gave him a mouthful and guess wat....next round Tyson KO's him.
Rooney was so important.

That's Tyson's weakness: without strong personalities like a D'amato, Rooney or an Atlas, he wasn't his strongest upstairs during fights, and outside the ring for that matter.

[Abe Attell]

But thats the kind of thing that seperates a good fighter from a great fighter. A great fighter fights past his physical limmit, he continues to fight where others would stay down. Continues to throw punchers even when his arms are dead and has no energy left.

A great fighter picks himself up and fights on til the end no matter what. win or lose they fight on.

So I am guessing you didn't see the Ruddock, Bruno, Douglas, Holyfield fights?

Ruddock, stunned, and what does he do? He fights back, despite being hurt.

Bruno, stunned, and fights back.

Douglas, out of shape, not with the right trainer/corner, is getting his ass handed to him, but still fights back, landing a shot that knocks Douglas down. Douglas gets up, kicks Tysons ass again, but Tyson up until he finally was put down, was still trying to knock Douglas out, but of course it was with one shot bombs. Even when he was down, he struggled hard to get up, and did, but of course couldn't continue as the ref waived the fight.
Holyfield (I), was stunned really bad the round before he was finally knocked out on his FEET...after being stunned and hurt badly in that round, he came back out swinging, only to get knocked out.






And at that point, Marciano never faced a true threat either in his prime. So in my opinon, based at "Top level" performance, he was never tested.

[Southpaw Stinger]

And at that point, Marciano never faced a true threat either in his prime. So in my opinon, based at "Top level" performance, he was never tested.

i would agree.

So I am guessing you didn't see the Ruddock, Bruno, Douglas, Holyfield fights?

Ruddock, stunned, and what does he do? He fights back, despite being hurt.

Bruno, stunned, and fights back.

Douglas, out of shape, not with the right trainer/corner, is getting his ass handed to him, but still fights back, landing a shot that knocks Douglas down. Douglas gets up, kicks Tysons ass again, but Tyson up until he finally was put down, was still trying to knock Douglas out, but of course it was with one shot bombs. Even when he was down, he struggled hard to get up, and did, but of course couldn't continue as the ref waived the fight.
Holyfield (I), was stunned really bad the round before he was finally knocked out on his FEET...after being stunned and hurt badly in that round, he came back out swinging, only to get knocked out.

I have seen all of those fights but there is a difference between getting stunned and taking a one sided beating - and coming back to win.

Think of the times Ali was stunned and rocked to hell by shavers yet he came back to win and nearly KO Shavers in the 15th. And this is way past his prime Ali who's out of shape with early parkinsons. Or getting decked by frazier in the 15th after taking a huge lot of hard shots through nearly all of the fight. Yet after the brutal knockdown he was up at 3 and continued to fight despite the fact he probably knew all was lost.

[Abe Attell]

Ali was a freak, and mentally stronger than Tyson. This is what makes Ali better than Tyson, he was mentally stronger. Although, he did want to quit or at least take off the gloves, which would force a stoppage, against Liston in there first fight, but Dundee told him to fight on. But to be fair, it is understandable since if something is burning your eyes your first reaction is to want to wipe them.

Ali was past his best when he fought Frazier, Formean, Shavers, Norton, etc.

That says something about the man that puts him above most, if not all.