It’s been a long time since I watched boxing, but the Klitschkos were both beaten early in their careers. I think being able to win a title at 40 says more about the division today than anything else. I have no idea how a short guy like Tyson would have handled a Klitschko.
Young Tyson beat the snot out of many bigger fighters. Berbick, Spinks, Tucker, Biggs, Bruno all come to mind. 6’5” Mitch Green took him the distance but it wasn’t particularly close (Green later got knocked tf out in a street fight with Tyson)
literally all heavyweighs were bigger than Tyson. Dude is 5’10".
6’7" is a special kind of height. It’s why people thought they were untouchable when they came up. Chris Byrd was listed at 6’1", but I don’t remember that fight at all.
Also Tyson’s first 15 professional fights all happened in 1985. It’s a wonder he lasted as long as he did.
Tyson was a scumbag before he was famous. He bragged about punching old ladies in the face and robbing them.
And “no one in his position” is obvious hyperbole? Pretty much every boxer who became rich and famous had loads of troubles. People with a lot to lose don’t generally go into professional boxing.
knocking over tomato cans is easy work
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Sure but you still have to train and spar and all of that, just seems superhuman to me especially by today’s standards. His first pro bout was in April ‘85. By the end of 1986 he was 28-0 and held a title. I don’t think we will ever see anything close to that again.
Heavyweights have been good into their 40s for a long time.
Unless I’m mistaking what you’re saying. Foreman won at like what, 46? Looks like Holyfield won his last one at 44 in '06.
Seems like a further indictment of the division heh
How far are you or he talking?
'06 isn’t the same as today. Foreman won in '95. What’s today?
Foreman winning was definitely considered an indictment of the division back then. 2006 or 2007 was probably right around when I stopped watching. It was really hard to watch heavyweight by then, because of all the old guys winning. I only liked middleweight and I think welterweight at that time, but can’t even remember who was who off the top of my head anymore.
Right but when Tyson, Lewis, Holyfield et al aged out there weren’t many of any up and coming heavyweights to replace them.
Okay, but '95 is Tyson time.
Tyson fighting in a weak time period is something I agree with.
Who would notice? Does anyone pay attention to boxing anymore?
Looking at this List of world heavyweight boxing champions - Wikipedia - - no one really comes close to Joe Lewis. 12 years as champ with 26 defenses in an era when the heavyweight champion was by far the most coveted position in American sports. I think Ali-Foreman-Frazier was a crazy good confluence of top fighters overlapping, so that made it tough on Ali, but still.
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Not in America, because they play football.
The world had to meet the demand. And they did, the Klitchkos dominated - so they did replace them. Tyson Fury winning now isn’t an indictment on boxing being worse than during Mike Tyson’s time.
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Tyson also ducked Big George.
Apropos of nothing but talking mid aughts boxing:
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Were they both champs? Amazing how he was able to delay for like 60 seconds after getting knocked down.
That was amazing. Fight should have been stopped at the second knockdown (well, boxing shouldn’t really be a sport people do).