Lewis/Tyson - Legendary HBO Nights

[britbox]

[video=youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=23HGuwzpcvE[/video]

Loved both as fighters. Always thought Lewis was a little underrated by the mainstream US media and Tyson a little overrated. Both great in their own ways. Was rooting for Lewis in the fight itself. Had planned on flying to the States for this but Mrs Britbox vetoed it. I had to make do with getting a Sky Sports subscription as compensation. Both fighters past their prime - Tyson moreso but Lewis would always have caused Tyson problems in my opinion.

 

[Kieran]

Well Tyson was a force of nature. I think he went off the rails before the Buster Douglas fight - and that must have been ten years or more before he fought Lennox. I liked Lennox, and by the time he fought Mike he was clearly the better fighter. It was kind of the last spasming days of the heavyweight division before absolute mediocrity ruled...

 

[britbox]

Agreed. Tyson has a LOT of character flaws but he has also been used and abused by so many people around him it's unreal. The real turning point for me was when Jim Jacobs died and Tyson fell under Don King's spell. He was surrounded with Yes men - largely by King. With the figures of discipline (Cus D'Amato (died), Jacobs, Teddy Atlas, Kevin Rooney etc.) out of the picture it turned into a path of self destruction.

The Douglas fight was one of the biggest shocks in sporting history IMO. My jaw just dropped at the time.

BUT, whichever version of Tyson was out there, I would STILL say Lewis was a bad matchup. Not to say, he'd definitely have beaten him in his prime but I think he had everything to trouble any version of Tyson.

 

[Kieran]

I think if Lewis could survive the first fifteen rounds of a peak-Tyson furious onslaught, he'd have a chance of getting a win in the sixteenth round! :laydownlaughing

Mike was vicious when he started out, but then to be fair, Lennox was higher class than most of the guys he faced. But I wouldn't imagine that there are any of the heavyweights could live with young Mike. Maybe Ali or some of the GOAT's, but that kid was fury!

 

[brokenshoelace]

Lewis was always a bad match-up for Mike. Even in his prime, Tyson was a flawed fighter (albeit a great one), but his overwhelming offensive onslaught covered up a lot of its wholes. He knew what he excelled at and did it perfectly.

While I was a bit too young in his prime years, I can still recognize the electricity in the atmosphere when he fought. Not even Floyd creates that nowadays.

 

[brokenshoelace]

Wow, watching this video, it makes me realize how there are very few things like a high profile boxing match. The build-ups are so enthralling. Tyson was an absolute lunatic, and at times, a garbage human being to be honest, but he was captivating.

Lenox: "Here was Tyson biting my leg...I hate being bit." LMAO.

EDIT: Female reporter asks question. Tyson: "I normally don't do anything with women unless I fornicate with them. So you shouldn't talk anymore...unless you wanna, you know."

Jesus Christ. He didn't even say that jokingly. He had his full terror face on. I wonder how intimidated she was, because that was terrifying.

EDIT 2: Tyson: "I wish one of you guys had children so I could kick them in the fu*king head or stomp on their testicles so you could feel my pain."

Alrighty then...

 

[britbox]

^ He was the definition of excitement. I don't think any one fighter has caught the public's imagination more than Iron Mike Tyson since. He transcended the sport (often for the wrong reasons) but as a media goldmine only Ali could compare.

 

[brokenshoelace]

^ He was the definition of excitement. I don't think any one fighter has caught the public's imagination more than Iron Mike Tyson since. He transcended the sport (often for the wrong reasons) but as a media goldmine only Ali could compare.

Ali is obviously in a league of his own as far as being a cultural icon, but in pure boxing terms, the interest Tyson drew was so unique because he was violence personified. People respond to that.

 

[britbox]

I think if Lewis could survive the first fifteen rounds of a peak-Tyson furious onslaught, he'd have a chance of getting a win in the sixteenth round! :laydownlaughing

Mike was vicious when he started out, but then to be fair, Lennox was higher class than most of the guys he faced. But I wouldn't imagine that there are any of the heavyweights could live with young Mike. Maybe Ali or some of the GOAT's, but that kid was fury!

Put a gun to my head and ask me who I think would win between Prime Lewis and Prime Tyson... I honestly believe Lewis would have beaten him. It's not a popular view because everyone who watched Tyson (me included) was fascinated by the raw violence and excitement... but as a 1-1 matchup I think Lewis had the power to hurt him on the inside and outside, dominate him with the jab (even the young Mike who moved his head and was harder to hit) and keep him honest on the inside.

Lewis was at his most dangerous against dangerous opponents. His losses occurred when he was a massive favourite and he came back and revenged them later.

The one that got away for me was Lewis v Bowe. The fact that fight didn't happen was criminal but I think Lewis would have won it by stoppage.

 

[britbox]

Wow, watching this video, it makes me realize how there are very few things like a high profile boxing match. The build-ups are so enthralling. Tyson was an absolute lunatic, and at times, a garbage human being to be honest, but he was captivating.

Lenox: "Here was Tyson biting my leg...I hate being bit." LMAO.

EDIT: Female reporter asks question. Tyson: "I normally don't do anything with women unless I fornicate with them. So you shouldn't talk anymore...unless you wanna, you know."

Jesus Christ. He didn't even say that jokingly. He had his full terror face on. I wonder how intimidated she was, because that was terrifying.

EDIT 2: Tyson: "I wish one of you guys had children so I could kick them in fu*king the head or stomp on their testicles so you could feel my pain."

Alrighty then...

Yep. One thing about Tyson (whatever your views are about him) was that you could never ignore him!!

 

[Kieran]

I think Tyson, during his clarity years, when boxing was all, would have clobbered any of the post-Ali fighters into concussion with nary a backwards glance. The bloke had a neck like most people's sofas, and a sharks eyes for the kill. I liked Lennox, but this is one that would be too rough for him, imho...

 

[bobvance]

I think if Lewis could survive the first fifteen rounds of a peak-Tyson furious onslaught, he'd have a chance of getting a win in the sixteenth round! :laydownlaughing

Mike was vicious when he started out, but then to be fair, Lennox was higher class than most of the guys he faced. But I wouldn't imagine that there are any of the heavyweights could live with young Mike. Maybe Ali or some of the GOAT's, but that kid was fury!

Put a gun to my head and ask me who I think would win between Prime Lewis and Prime Tyson... I honestly believe Lewis would have beaten him. It's not a popular view because everyone who watched Tyson (me included) was fascinated by the raw violence and excitement... but as a 1-1 matchup I think Lewis had the power to hurt him on the inside and outside, dominate him with the jab (even the young Mike who moved his head and was harder to hit) and keep him honest on the inside.

Lewis was at his most dangerous against dangerous opponents. His losses occurred when he was a massive favourite and he came back and revenged them later.

The one that got away for me was Lewis v Bowe. The fact that fight didn't happen was criminal but I think Lewis would have won it by stoppage.

It's a shame that Lewis and Tyson peaked at different times because this really would have been an interesting fight. One the one hand I don't think Lewis was as intimidated by Tyson as some others were, and that was a huge advantage. But on the other hand Lewis could be hurt. He didn't have an all-world chin and you have to imagine that a prime Tyson would have worked past Lewis's jab enough to land some brutal shots. Prime Tyson was just ferocious, ridiculously conditioned, and had knockout power with both hands. In my mind Lewis would have made it interesting but Tyson would have won. Hypotheticals aside I'm sure Lewis feels great about the way he destroyed Tyson when they actually did fight.

 

[britbox]

I think if Lewis could survive the first fifteen rounds of a peak-Tyson furious onslaught, he'd have a chance of getting a win in the sixteenth round! :laydownlaughing

Mike was vicious when he started out, but then to be fair, Lennox was higher class than most of the guys he faced. But I wouldn't imagine that there are any of the heavyweights could live with young Mike. Maybe Ali or some of the GOAT's, but that kid was fury!

Put a gun to my head and ask me who I think would win between Prime Lewis and Prime Tyson... I honestly believe Lewis would have beaten him. It's not a popular view because everyone who watched Tyson (me included) was fascinated by the raw violence and excitement... but as a 1-1 matchup I think Lewis had the power to hurt him on the inside and outside, dominate him with the jab (even the young Mike who moved his head and was harder to hit) and keep him honest on the inside.

Lewis was at his most dangerous against dangerous opponents. His losses occurred when he was a massive favourite and he came back and revenged them later.

The one that got away for me was Lewis v Bowe. The fact that fight didn't happen was criminal but I think Lewis would have won it by stoppage.

It's a shame that Lewis and Tyson peaked at different times because this really would have been an interesting fight. One the one hand I don't think Lewis was as intimidated by Tyson as some others were, and that was a huge advantage. But on the other hand Lewis could be hurt. He didn't have an all-world chin and you have to imagine that a prime Tyson would have worked past Lewis's jab enough to land some brutal shots. Prime Tyson was just ferocious, ridiculously conditioned, and had knockout power with both hands. In my mind Lewis would have made it interesting but Tyson would have won. Hypotheticals aside I'm sure Lewis feels great about the way he destroyed Tyson when they actually did fight.

Tyson could be hurt too - let's not forget that. I loved Tyson as a fighter - he was prime time, but I just don't think this is a good match-up for him at all.