I've been following boxing for over 40 years.IMO a number of boxers would have taken Tyson, including Joe Louis,The Rock,Ali.
The early 80's we're definitely my favorite era. I'd really have to think about my 10 favorite fights. Leonard vs Hearns was FOR SURE # 1!!!!! all 3 of the Vasquez vs Marquez fights. all the Gatti vs Ward fights I loved the energy of the DeLa Hoya vs Vargas fight Forman vs Lyle was CRAZY!!!!! Ali vs Frazier (all of Course) Sorry but LOVED Forman vs Frazier I Matthew Saad Muhammad vs Yaqui Lopez (I think the 2nd. one???) Salvador Sanchez vs Wilfredo Gomez Aaron Pryor vs Alexis Arguello I (Tell me he wasn't on something!) I loved Leonard vs Duran II Hagler vs Mugabi Alot of the Bobby Chacon fights: I remember vs Boza Edwards IV the most. Hagler vs Hearns ( I was rooting for Hearns though...) Michael Carbahal vs Humberto Gonzalez I I was so sad when Meldrick Taylor got KO'ed by Chavez with seconds remaining (that fight ruined him!!!!) I feared Ruddock after what he did to Dokes Azumah Nelson was always exciting Corrales vs Castillo I (What the F***)! This question is TOO difficult. 100 fights would have been easier! Now i'll TRY for my top 10 fightersno specific order)except Leonard #1 1. Ray Leonard (favorite of ALL TIME) 2. Tommy Hearns 3. Holmes 4. Hagler 5. Azumah Nelson 6. Roy Jones Jr. 7. Alexis Arguello 8. Salvador Sanchez 9. Michael Spinks (as a Lt. Hwt) 10. DeLa Hoya Also: Calzaghe (warrior!!) Diego Corrales (warrior!!) Aaron Pryor Hector Camacho (don't ask me why) Holyfield (only as a Lt. Hvy.) Felix Trinidad Gotta Love Manny Pacquiao Fighters I disliked: (no specific order) 1. Julio Ceasar Chavez 2. Bernard Hopkins 3. Zab Judah 4. James Toney 5. Floyd Mayweather 6. Pernell Whitaker (BORING) 7. Iran Barkley 8. Mark Breland (waste) 9. Michael Nunn 10. Wilfred Benitez Also: Winky Wright Fernando Vargas Erik Morales Never really Liked Tyson in his prime!!!! OK, OK, I was a hater!!!! Zab Judah (had to say him again!!!!!!!) This list was SO hard to make!!! I probably left out SO MANY fights and fighter. Let's hear your lists.
True, BUT: Nelson answered all questions in the second fight!!! I don't really count the 3rd. fight. They were both in there mid fortys.
I, too, miss Tyson. Don't know much about the sport, but the guy was just a crusher. I ran into him on Sunset Boulevard, a couple years ago, at a cigar shop and he looked like total crap. He was more than drunk, he was more than stoned, he was just something. He looked cracked out, frankly. I was kind of star-struck, and I said, "Hey, Mike. How you doing?" He said, "Hey, young man." He just looked like hell. He looked like he was sort of wandering around in the world, and he just happened to stumble into that location. Sad.
When ever boxing comes up Tysons name always comes up, but he was not even close to being one of the greatest of all time. A very young Tyson used great head movement to get inside and murder the body. After he won the title, and his original brain trust of Gus Demotta/Kevin Rooney, Jim Jacobs, and Bill Cayton was gone he surrounded himself with all the wrong people and turned into a one dimensional head hunter. Sub Par competition doesn't help his case for claiming a top ten spot in the heavyweight picture either. To the original question. Klitsco has a very good jab against stationary targets, and a decent right hand. Against average heavyweights of the 80's he would not make the top 10.
Just watched a few fights of Roy Jones Jr. You almost forget how good he was. since the Tarver/Ruiz/Johnson/Calzaghe fights. I just haven't been too into him. But then you go back 7-10 years. WOW, HE WAS GREAT!!!! Not taking anything away from him, He is one of my all time favorites. But it's just sad to see greatness fall that bad! I still would like to see others top 10, bottom 10 and Ten favorite bouts...
Here's my top 10. Based on me forever remembering them, not that they were the greatest. 1. Holmes Cooney.....Holmes my favorite fighter of that time. A masterful boxing performance. 2. Pavlik Taylor I......Was ringside. Pavlik my favorite today 3. Barrera Morales I......Was there. Greatest sporting event I ever saw up to that point. 4. Vasquez Marquez III.....Neither are human 5. Leonard Hearns I.........Greatest comeback I ever saw. 6. Boza Edwards Bobby Chacon...Chacon pure guts 7. Holmes Witherspoon......Whew. That was close! 8. Benn McClellan..........Sad, Sad, Sad. 9. Hagler Hearns.......Loved Hagler. What a fighter is all about 10. Tyson Douglas..... possibly the biggest upset in sports period.
Wasn't the Chacon vs Edwards IV the fight that Chacons wife commited suicide the NIGHT before, and he still fought... and won?
Chacon fought Edwards twice. The second fight is the one I refer to. The fight your referring to was against someone named Salvador Ugalde. Good memory. I had to look that one up. Chacon was a great warrior, too bad he stayed in way too long and was seen picking up aluminum cans to support a cocaine habit in the 90's. He also suffers from pugilistic dementia.
He fought Limon 4 times. I just looked it up. My wrong!!!! So sad about the Aluminum can story. What a waste!!!! DRUGS!!!!!!!
Roy is a legend, no doubt about it! Here is a youtube vid of some of his highlights. http://au.youtube.com/watch?v=UDWnMXzgeZo&feature=related
OMG Armen I never knew you were such a fight fan!! Well, I started following boxing after my dad took me to a fight in 1968 (yep, Im that old!). Anyway I think Ali (in his prime pre 1967) would have caused a Tyson knockout in the later rounds with ease. I know what you're saying about Tyson being feared and having a truly explosive style. BUT, he depended on luring guys in and fighting them at close quarters or on the INSIDE with vicious uppercuts and hooks/check hooks. Ali fighting from the OUTSIDE would have kept him at bay with his ripping jabs and right-hand leads and by the latter rounds Tyson would have been reduced to a standing target. Even in Tysons prime, he failed to knock out the first guy he faced who could jab (Bonecrusher Smith) and the fight went the distance with Tyson pretty much neutralized, and 2 years later another guy who could jab (Buster Douglas) knocked him out! I think you get my point... BTW I love Ray Leonard as well, a real thinking fighter - but Im biased: our respective wives are long-time friends so Ive met him and I think he is a class act.
Before claiming Tyson as the greatest fighter ever, look at the records of Ray Robinson, Archie Moore, Joe Louis, and others with long distinguished career's. Tyson's rein was much too short, and the level of competition not so good either. He also didn't fair well when he faced adversity. He could have been one of the greatest if he'd been able to hold on to his original trainers and managers. A prime Tyson, and a Prime Ali fight would have looked like Ali Frazier, so we almost saw it. I'd give Ali the victory two out of three times also.
I love the point you make re: Ali/Frazier: two out of three, But I beleive Tyson was alot better than Frazier.
Tyson was more explosive than Fraizer for sure, but I do think Fraizer had more skills. That would have been an intriguing match up. Who knows if Ali would have gotten up if a similar left hook from Tyson landed like the first Ali Fraizer fight. The only other "shorter" fighter I can think of that gave Ali trouble was Oscar Bonavena who was similar in style to Fraizer.
It's funny, I can't believe i'm sticking up for this guy, I never really liked him in his prime!!!!!!!