who could stop tyson back in the day?

[paulstokes2432]

Tyson had won most of his fights before the first bell everyone was scared of him. There's a few fighters mentioned on here that would've had a chance if they showed no fear and boxed him.

[MetalVomit]

You seriously need to watch fights instead of being a parrot.


Who wasn't taller than Tyson?

It amazes me that people act like Tyson was Godzilla, but unlike Godzilla, Tyson was looking up, not down to his opponents, at least physically.

If people were sacred of Tyson it was because of his skills and style were superior to theirs and they knew it...when you go up against something you don't have an answer for, it can and most likely will lead to fear.

Steve Lott said this about Tyson: {pardon if it is not exactly the same words, but close enough}
D'amato created a style for Mike in which the objective was to make the opponent throw a punch (jab), make him miss, then respond with your own punch (which would land)...Mike then would repeat the process with the opponent throwing a jab, missing, and Mike throwing back and landing...after a couple of times of his opponent missing and being hit back, he would start to question himself, he would start to get confused, and start to get fustrated...the longer it went, the more the fighter would break down and feel he couldn't win.
The fact is, Tyson needed his opponent to fight...he needed his opponent to throw, in order for him to impose his will on you...when the fighter didn't fight back, Tyson's fights were boring...It wasn't until Tyson left Rooney that his skills went to ****, he didn't train, and people saw they could take advantage.



Even Berbick, though scared, charged at Mike in the opening round, but once he got tagged and stunned, he went into a defense mode which is very common.

Razor Ruddock wasn't scared of Mike either.

The problem with both arguing for him and against him is that Mike burnt out quickly...It wasn't from tough fights either, it was all mental, and it was the result of deaths and exiling the only trainer left that was right for him, Kevin Rooney.

So, Tyson will always be a more of a "What if", but only for the sake of arguing his greatness, or once potential greatness... but there is still enough evidence to support his talent, which in fact led him to become a Champion at 20 years old.

Read my post again, I meant a boxer with all of those qualities combined. Parrot? What the **** does that even mean. I've seen quite a few Tyson fights, never have been a big fan.

[The Noose]

Read my post again, I meant a boxer with all of those qualities combined. Parrot? What the **** does that even mean. I've seen quite a few Tyson fights, never have been a big fan.

U said the ANY boxer who was tall with a good jab, decent chin and wasnt intimidated could stop Tyson, like u said there were few of them, but Tyson beat them all except for Douglas, and he wasnt at his best for that fight.

Some people just say the same thing, about an opponent with a good jab and not intimidated. Personally i dont believe that.
The only 2 examples the people use are Douglas and Holyfield, but 1: Tyson wasnt at his best in either fight, not in his 'prime', and 2: Not every Tyson opponent was intimidated, they were simply out boxed and out fought.

[MetalVomit]

U said the ANY boxer who was tall with a good jab, decent chin and wasnt intimidated could stop Tyson, like u said there were few of them, but Tyson beat them all except for Douglas, and he wasnt at his best for that fight.

Some people just say the same thing, about an opponent with a good jab and not intimidated. Personally i dont believe that.
The only 2 examples the people use are Douglas and Holyfield, but 1: Tyson wasnt at his best in either fight, not in his 'prime', and 2: Not every Tyson opponent was intimidated, they were simply out boxed and out fought.

Exactly, COULD, not WOULD. Hypothetically.

[Brassangel]

If "could, not would" is the logic here, then I guess we can conclude the following:

Any fighter who could cut off the ring and attack the body, while being virtually immune to mind games could defeat Muhammad Ali.

Anybody who could cut up a fighter's face with today's rules enforcement could beat Rocky Marciano.

Anybody with speed and power could beat Joe Louis.

Anybody who could make George Foreman tired could beat him.

Anybody who can nullify Joe Frazier's left eye could beat him.

While these seem like simple tasks, there were far more losers than winners against these guys. The guys that Tyson beat, and even some of those he lost to, had fewer skills, and a weaker game plan than he did. While this deteriorated over time, it was primarily mental. Even with all of the "if's" in his career, he still would have been beaten eventually. What I'm saying is, short of perhaps, Micheal Spinks, there weren't too many fighters who actually gave up before the fight started; especially when they got into the ring and realized that they were an average of 3-4 inches taller than him, with at least a 6-8 inch reach advantage.

Muhammad Ali said that he had to keep from shaking in the ring because of his fear of Sonny Liston. Much of that went away when Ali stepped up to Liston and realized that he had height and reach advantage. (The reach of course, being a virtual one due to his height and upright style. Liston's reach was technically longer by measurement.) I imagine that many fighters were nervous when watching tapes and reading or hearing about Tyson, but felt different when they stood in front of a short, girlish-voiced, stubby armed little kid. The fear kicks in to overdrive when he manages to strip away the advantages one thinks they have by outboxing them.

Interesting topic.

It's good to be back.

I needed to shake a little rust off before I start a Joe Frazier segment which will include my Fantasy Fights: Frazier vs. Holyfield II.

[The Noose]

Exactly, COULD, not WOULD. Hypothetically.

Aaaah! Ok.

I think it would take somone very special tho.

[Yogi]

Buster Douglas or Tony Tucker.

[Mr. Ryan]

The way I see it, beating Tyson isn't as ludicrous as some might state. Tyson was known to quit when he was stood up to, and prime Larry Holmes, Muhammad Ali, and Joe Louis were not about to back down from a guy like Tyson. I'd say that Tyson was alot more vulnerable mentally than many might be prepared to agree with, because he showed no weakness prior to the Douglas fight, save for brief moments early in the first Bruno encounter.

[The Noose]

The way I see it, beating Tyson isn't as ludicrous as some might state. Tyson was known to quit when he was stood up to, and prime Larry Holmes, Muhammad Ali, and Joe Louis were not about to back down from a guy like Tyson. I'd say that Tyson was alot more vulnerable mentally than many might be prepared to agree with, because he showed no weakness prior to the Douglas fight, save for brief moments early in the first Bruno encounter.

Tyson was known to quit when stood up to?
Based on what? Who did he quit against?

He took a beating from Douglas and Holyfield, and Lewis. He didnt quit in any of his fights.

And we are talking about a Tyson at his best. He didnt give up fighting against Tucker, or Smith, or Tillis, whom he couldnt KO.

Everyone knows Tyson was mentally weak in many ways, thats nothing new. And most would agree that Ali, Foreman, Louis etc would probably beat him.

[Mr. Ryan]

Tyson was known to quit when stood up to?
Based on what? Who did he quit against?

He took a beating from Douglas and Holyfield, and Lewis. He didnt quit in any of his fights.

And we are talking about a Tyson at his best. He didnt give up fighting against Tucker, or Smith, or Tillis, whom he couldnt KO.

Everyone knows Tyson was mentally weak in many ways, thats nothing new. And most would agree that Ali, Foreman, Louis etc would probably beat him.

Teddy Atlas stated right before the rematch with Holyfield that if he was put up against a guy who would not back down or show weakness in there, Tyson would cede. He even went on to prophesy that Tyson if the going got rough would intentionally foul to get himself disqualified.

He openly admitted that he quit mentally against Douglas. He just said that sometimes people just break your will.