Iron Mike Tyson owned a heavyweight era

By Boxing News - 06/13/2011 - Comments

By Gerardo Granados: Iron Mike former undisputed and undefeated heavyweight Champion of the World, T58-W50(44)-L6(5)-D0, title fight record of T16-W12(10)-L3(3)-D0-DQ1. He is still the youngest heavyweight champion.

Michael Gerard Tyson had a rough upbringing, he was envolved in various scandals, had a dificult divorce, he even spent years in prison for a heinous crime, he squandered millions of dollars, he has just been enshrined in to the IBHOF and life took very hard shots at him. Now the former baddest man on the planet looks more serene, mature and happy, and as himself said now he lives in the real world and has to bills to pay.

Notables: Alfonzo Ratliff WBC cruiser / *2, Trevor Berbick WBC heavy / *3, James Smith WBA World heavy / *3, Pinklon Thomas WBC – IBO heavy / *5, Tony Tucker IBF heavy / *5, Larry Holmes WBC – IBF heavy / *26, Tony Tubbs WBA World heavy / *4, Michael Spinks IBF heavy and WBC – WBA World – IBF light heavy / *15, Frank Bruno WBC heavy / *5, James Buster Douglas WBC – WBA World – IBF heavy / *3, Bruce Seldon WBA World heavy / *3, Evander Holyfield WBC – WBA World – IBF heavy and WBC – WBA World – IBF cruiser / *25, Orlin Norris WBA World cruiser / *6, Brian Nielsen IBO heavy / *6 and Lennox Lewis WBC – WBA World – IBF – IBO heavy / *18. * title fights.

He faced top opposition whom now are members of the IBHOF such as Lennox Lewis, Michael Spinks and Larry Holmes, he engaged and lost to serious candidate to the hall of fame Evander Holyfield. Yes, he also engaged against not top fighters but still they were not as bad as current contenders Briggs, Arreola, Harrison or Amadek, or do the reader consider these fighters as top opposition? Tyson destroyed Larry Holmes, and yes Larry was not prime but still was competitive, Holmes even came back from retirement many years after that fight to try to regain the heavyweight title and lost but he wasnt knocked out. His fights against Holyfield and Lewis came too late when Tyson was no longer in his prime. How could the reader forget about his downfall in Tokio when he lost to the heavy underdog James “Buster” Douglas and the controversial long count of referee Octavio Meyran. Don King was his promoter for several years as you all know.

Some boxing purist will say he did not have the boxing skills to be considered as boxing hall of fame member. Tyson had great chin, mobility, bob and weave all the time, tremendous speed even for a lightweight and his power was simply awesome, great combinations to the head and was a vicious body puncher. He was only 5´10” height and 71” reach fighting at the heavyweight division so he was always giving his rivals that edge. Too bad he was not very disciplined. If the reader did not have the chance to watch him fight you better search the web for some of his fights.

The late trainer Cus D´Amato was very influential in Tyson life, but he died prematurely, if he have lived any longer the Tyson legend would be even bigger. Tyson was world wide known by kids or old men as the heavyweight champion and he ruled that division for a couple of years. When he visited foreign countries he was treated like a rock star and had the priviledge to meet several mandataries. Tyson had a special charisma and magnetic personality inside or outside the ring and perhaps only Muhamad Ali will be above him in that aspect.

Some will say that he did not faced great opposition but he did beat the ones that were available. Maybe Wladimir Klitchko will receive the same critics when he retire. Maybe if Tyson had fought against Max Schmelling, Max Baer, Rocky Marciano, George Foreman, Muhammad Ali, Joe Frazier, Sonny Liston, Joe Louis, Gene Tunney, Jack Johnson or prime Larry Holmes, or even prime Tyson vs prime Lennox Lewis and a prime Tyson vs prime Evander Holyfield he would have lost to some of them but still he would have end up knocking out some of them too.

The name of Iron Mike Tyson defines a boxing era, and that era was one in which the fights of the heavyweight champion were seen world wide. I heard once a boxing analist saying that Tyson does not deserves to be considered to the boxing hall of fame due his problems with the law, I believe that is wrong, because he has served his time and proved that he has been rehabilitated and has been able to function as a productive member of society, so you can not keep judging him by the mistakes or crimes that he might have commited in the past.

Iron Mike Tyson was the baddest man on the planet, now he will be remembered like that and his name will never be forgotten by boxing fans around the world.

Can you imagine a prime twenty years old Mike Tyson still trained by Cus D´Amato just about to fight against Wladimir Klitchko next week?



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