Tyson - Last Great Heavyweight

[jiopsi]

Yes, I think so. This was the last guy who made you drop your jaw in awe and made you think he's just unbeatable. Too bad even unbeatable juggernauts have weaknesses, and his was his personal life.

[MisterHardtop]

Lewis was greater in terms of technicality, Holyfield was greater in terms of heart, chin and longevity but Tyson was greater than both in terms of bringing excitement to the sport but that far from makes him the last great heavyweight.

[boxingfocus]

Lewis achieved more, faced and beat a better calibre of opponent, and stayed at the top of the sport far longer. When you say Tyson is the last great heavyweight, you make yourself look ignorant.

[PulpFriction]

In the East, the days of antiquity people had legends...When someone became sufficiently big they became a legend. Musashi the man who fought 100 or more duels, many of the samurai claimed they were taught by mountain demons, in China many families were known by their deeds in the boxing community of the day....but even in a culture that functions in that way legends inevitably are deconstructed. The Shaolin monastery was held in high regard yet many years later there were accounts of Chinese generals saying their stick work was garbage...

In our culture history is the validating force. As time goes on people are reevaluated....Lincoln was a hated man as president but he passed the litmus test and now he is known as a great man by the majority.

Tyson came on strong. I well remember the gestault you speak of. The finality of a Tyson victory which far surpassed the dry humping Vlad Klitschko experience. Lewis, like Holmes was never apreciated while he was champ. Everyone thought the next guy would take Lewis out. but as father time has passed we know say that Holmes was a great fighter, some even say he surpassed Ali...some say this! I notice that Lewis has started to get his due, and Tyson is often spoke of as lacking.

I guess it will balance out. Tyson was special and as long as the baby boomers are around he will have a voice!

Well said. Especially about lewis and holmes who were underappreciated during their time. Holmes was great and so was lewis. Tyson is really a tough pick but in his prime it's difficult to predict.

[The Old LefHook]

Tyson was the last exciting heavyweight. He was the Rubin Carter of the heavyweights. By the way, Bob Dylan was sorry he ever wrote the song about that murderer after a face to face meeting with him. It is pretty well understood that Carter was guilty. He got off because of police improprieties, not because anyone assumed he was innocent.

[Sugar Adam Ali]

Tyson is the last guy to capture the general publics attention... Floyd, Oscar, manny, evander were all superstars but never at the level of tyson... His style and mystique in the 80s and even post prison was something that maybe only Michael Jordan and tiger woods have achieved...
He had his own video games, soda commercials, etc... Mike was such a huge draw that even the kevin mcbride fight at the very end, was the most lucrative heavyweight fight that year.. Same goes for the danny Williams fight the year before...

Mike was a juggernaut