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Having read through the post about Tyson's tattoo, I thought it would be nice to try and restore a little balance to the forum and say something positive about the guy.
So here are my reasons...
Firstly, there is a difference between boxing, sparring and fighting. I need to hammer this home before I can start.
There is no doubt that Lennox Lewis beat Tyson convincingly when they fought for the title. However, let us remember that boxing has rules, rounds and restrictions. I can't remember how long it took Lennox Lewis to stop Tyson, but from memory I think it was around 6 or 7 rounds (which translates to around 18 minutes). There is NO WAY that a real street fight between such big and powerful fighters would last that long or follow that same course. Boxing and street fighting are TOTALLY different. Boxing is all about outsmarting and outmanoeuvring your opponent. Street fighting on the other hand is all about about explosive power and accuracy.
Tyson has not lost these traits one bit.
A martial arts instructor once told me, "if a fight lasts more than 5 seconds, then it's a very long fight". If we accept the proposition that most *real* fights are over within a few seconds (and from experience and observation, I believe that to be true!), then who can inflict more damage in, say, three seconds than Mike Tyson?
And as for sparring... again, that follows rules and a format which is different from *real* fighting. For example, the first thing that usually happens in a sparring match (of any style!) is that the two opponents will begin at a distance of several feet (or even a few metres!) apart. The opponents will then use footwork to get closer, perhaps "dancing" on the way... etc. There may even be a significant delay before the first offensive move is thrown!
Again, this is TOTALLY different from what I would call *real* fighting.
In real fighting, I believe that the three main factors are speed, power (which I know is kind of linked to speed anyway) and finally aggression. People may say that aggression doesn't count, or some may even say that aggression is a hindrance.
For anyone who wants to follow that line of argument I simply say, look through the old Tyson fights (and even his recent ones!) and look at the amount of 6 foot plus opponents that simple FROZE the moment they looked across the ring and saw Tyson's raging face staring back at them! Aggression DOES count.
People may talk of the handicap that Tyson has not being a kicker. I would respond, again, by suggesting that most *real* fights happen at close quarters and are over within a few seconds. Even if you DID manage to land your best punch or kick on Tyson first, I believe there is an overwhelming chance that he would be all over you before you could even blink. Tyson has a rock solid jaw and if he can take six rounds of Lennon Lewis's best punches, then the guy on the street has virtually NO CHANCE of a knockout!
And finally, a word about the Gracie brothers (cos I know there's a few fans in this forum)...
I've checked those guys out on video and I am blown away with how good they are.
I can remember seeing one of them winning the Ultimate Fighting Championship and I have nothing but respect for these people. If Tyson entered the UFC then I would not argue with anyone who wanted to put their money on the Gracie guy.
But, once again... even the UFC is NOT (by any stretch of the imagination) *real* fighting.
I think groundwork is great and those Gracie folk are probably the best I've seen at it- ever! HOWEVER, rolling around on the ground is a very dangerous business indeed if we're living in the real world... a realm where knives and multiple assailants rule the day. And before moving on, let’s think of experience for a second. Just look at the background Tyson came from! By his own admission, he was a full time street thug before boxing changed his life. Tyson probably has an oil tanker’s worth of experience when it comes to real fighting!
In my opinion, Tyson is probably the hardest puncher of all time. Even though he is past his best (boxing wise), all the experts agree that punching power is one of the last things to go when a boxer grows old (look at George Foreman for proof!). Let us also remember, Tyson is also one of the most accurate hitters of all time. Unlike any boxer I can think of Tyson seems to have virtually no jab at all! But this is not a bad thing! Because of the fact that he wastes no energy throwing token gesture jabs, this makes every single Tyson punch a potential knock out punch. In other words, with Mike Tyson every single move is a knockout move! If he lands ONE single move on you, then the game is over.
At the end of the day, I suppose it all comes down to speed, power, aggression and (if I was forced to choose one last variable, I'd say) proficiency in executing your techniques. I believe that these are the main factors in *real* fighting and I cannot think of a single human being who outdoes Mike Tyson in these departments.
Thanks for reading,
David
So here are my reasons...
Firstly, there is a difference between boxing, sparring and fighting. I need to hammer this home before I can start.
There is no doubt that Lennox Lewis beat Tyson convincingly when they fought for the title. However, let us remember that boxing has rules, rounds and restrictions. I can't remember how long it took Lennox Lewis to stop Tyson, but from memory I think it was around 6 or 7 rounds (which translates to around 18 minutes). There is NO WAY that a real street fight between such big and powerful fighters would last that long or follow that same course. Boxing and street fighting are TOTALLY different. Boxing is all about outsmarting and outmanoeuvring your opponent. Street fighting on the other hand is all about about explosive power and accuracy.
Tyson has not lost these traits one bit.
A martial arts instructor once told me, "if a fight lasts more than 5 seconds, then it's a very long fight". If we accept the proposition that most *real* fights are over within a few seconds (and from experience and observation, I believe that to be true!), then who can inflict more damage in, say, three seconds than Mike Tyson?
And as for sparring... again, that follows rules and a format which is different from *real* fighting. For example, the first thing that usually happens in a sparring match (of any style!) is that the two opponents will begin at a distance of several feet (or even a few metres!) apart. The opponents will then use footwork to get closer, perhaps "dancing" on the way... etc. There may even be a significant delay before the first offensive move is thrown!
Again, this is TOTALLY different from what I would call *real* fighting.
In real fighting, I believe that the three main factors are speed, power (which I know is kind of linked to speed anyway) and finally aggression. People may say that aggression doesn't count, or some may even say that aggression is a hindrance.
For anyone who wants to follow that line of argument I simply say, look through the old Tyson fights (and even his recent ones!) and look at the amount of 6 foot plus opponents that simple FROZE the moment they looked across the ring and saw Tyson's raging face staring back at them! Aggression DOES count.
People may talk of the handicap that Tyson has not being a kicker. I would respond, again, by suggesting that most *real* fights happen at close quarters and are over within a few seconds. Even if you DID manage to land your best punch or kick on Tyson first, I believe there is an overwhelming chance that he would be all over you before you could even blink. Tyson has a rock solid jaw and if he can take six rounds of Lennon Lewis's best punches, then the guy on the street has virtually NO CHANCE of a knockout!
And finally, a word about the Gracie brothers (cos I know there's a few fans in this forum)...
I've checked those guys out on video and I am blown away with how good they are.
I can remember seeing one of them winning the Ultimate Fighting Championship and I have nothing but respect for these people. If Tyson entered the UFC then I would not argue with anyone who wanted to put their money on the Gracie guy.
But, once again... even the UFC is NOT (by any stretch of the imagination) *real* fighting.
I think groundwork is great and those Gracie folk are probably the best I've seen at it- ever! HOWEVER, rolling around on the ground is a very dangerous business indeed if we're living in the real world... a realm where knives and multiple assailants rule the day. And before moving on, let’s think of experience for a second. Just look at the background Tyson came from! By his own admission, he was a full time street thug before boxing changed his life. Tyson probably has an oil tanker’s worth of experience when it comes to real fighting!
In my opinion, Tyson is probably the hardest puncher of all time. Even though he is past his best (boxing wise), all the experts agree that punching power is one of the last things to go when a boxer grows old (look at George Foreman for proof!). Let us also remember, Tyson is also one of the most accurate hitters of all time. Unlike any boxer I can think of Tyson seems to have virtually no jab at all! But this is not a bad thing! Because of the fact that he wastes no energy throwing token gesture jabs, this makes every single Tyson punch a potential knock out punch. In other words, with Mike Tyson every single move is a knockout move! If he lands ONE single move on you, then the game is over.
At the end of the day, I suppose it all comes down to speed, power, aggression and (if I was forced to choose one last variable, I'd say) proficiency in executing your techniques. I believe that these are the main factors in *real* fighting and I cannot think of a single human being who outdoes Mike Tyson in these departments.
Thanks for reading,
David
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