Please do not comment directly to this post unless you are Gen X or older (born 1980 or before). See this post, the rules, and the sidebar for details. Thank you for your submission, PrestonRoad90.
Not favorably. Rape conviction and biting a chunk of Holyfield’s ear off were super bad looks. Plus he seemed like an angry guy. His association with Don King didn’t help either. Seems like he’s turned his life around though which is super encouraging.
A modern equivalent to me would be Conor McGregor. You have a guy who coming up is just wowing everyone. Extremely dominant championship performances. Then gets the millions and loses their damn mind and ruins what could have been an amazing career.
Used to watch him on HBO. Unstoppable around 21 and before.
Just came forward like a tank with crushing punches. No defence against him but running away.
Not very much. He beat his first wife — Robin something from Head of The Class TV show and then he raped a woman. Nope, didn’t think anything good about him.
Could have been the greatest of all time. When his first trainer, Cus D’Amoto died, the team surrounding him let him down. His life went sideways. But I’ve never seen anyone that inspired fear in the ring like he did. His opponents talked a big game until they got in the ring, and you could see their fear.
He was a force of nature, but as a former trainer, I could see the flaw. It was just a matter of time until someone could survive the first onlsaught and fight him out. Once that was figured out…… But gosh it was fun to watch while it lasted.
Great and dirty (at times) boxer. Serious mental health issues. He is also a sympathetic character if you look at his history and his trainer who helped him along his way. Sometimes a nuanced view can show a flawed human that has seen many struggles (many of his own making).
As a boxer – the best of his generation. A candidate for greatest of all time. Devastating opponent in the ring. Not just ‘wins by knockout’, but ‘wins by knockout in a ridiculously small amount of time’.
His personality has mellowed, and he seems to be a somewhat responsible human being. But when he was younger, he appeared like a dangerous person who needed supervision to not be a danger to the outside world.
Baddest man on the planet! Watching his fights literally made your heart beat fast like a Rocky movie not like watching a jab here a jab there and who’s ahead on the count? More like do we need a body bag?
Way back in the day – not even sure he’d won his first championship but he was known – my sister met him one evening. They hung out and danced. According to her he was very shy, very sweet. It was a pretty upscale place and he seemed a bit fish out of water and nervous, trying to fit in. Had some handlers. She liked him.
While he was competing, thought he was unbeatable.
After losing to Buster, wondered if ANY of that would have happened under Cus, and if he’d ever be able to climb back up (in boxing and life).
When he got out of prison: was sad to realize that we boxing fans will never know just how dominating he could have been, had his life not gone so far off the rails. Felt kinda robbed. Especially because he was still successful AFTER he went through everything he did. Which only made me even sadder at what the boxing world lost.
He was a New York local hero. We all knew he was a simple dude, a little scary but he had heart and was a winner. I felt really bad for him when his coach Cus D’Amato died, he was truly like a father to him. Worst thing that ever happened to Mike
I saw through to a very wounded child that had no coping skills whatsoever. As an athlete? One of the best ever. I’m so glad he’s still around and seems to be in a better place.
Which “back in the day”? Junior Olympics/Golden Gloves back in the day? Early professional career back in the day? Post-prison boxing career back in the day? The Hangover and other films back in the day?
Mike Tyson would have gone down in fame as one of the greatest boxers of all time since he had the combination of raw power and technique in equal measure, and you usually see that boxers lean to one side or the other. He might have been regarded as an equal to Muhammad Ali by the end of his career.
Instead, probably in grief at the passing of his coach, who had always been a stabilizing force in his life, and because of the poor pharmaceuticals we had at the time for mood stabilization, and probably no thanks to his ex-wife, he lost the plot. He turned the whole sport of boxing into a mockery of itself.
I only ever saw two Tyson fights live; when he lost to Buster Douglas and when he bit Evander Holyfield’s ear. Needless to say, that colored my opinion of him.
Personal character aside, in his prime one of the greatest heavyweights to ever lace up the gloves. That debacle against Jake Paul back in November should never have happened. Shout out to Irish boxer Katie Taylor who fought in the undercard match.
I was a boxer in my teens and my build was similar to Tyson so I looked towards him for inspiration like you would another skilled athlete that’s relevant to your sport. I liked him as a boxer.
I like to listen to some interviews with him now that he’s older, it feels like age did a lot of good for him.
He was a beast. If you wanted to build the perfect fighter, you couldn’t do better than Mike Tyson. Ferocious, aggressive, unparalleled punching power, excellent footwork, great upper body movement and defensive skills. He wasn’t in the ring to showboat. He was a warrior 100% focused on destroying his opponent
I thought he was a beast in the ring, likely mistreated outside of it. Too young to have the power and no one but Cus to really guide him. Once Cus passed, there was no one in it for Mike, everyone was in it for money. You add this to the pressures of fame, I can’t see how it could have been much different, aside from the rape and prison time.
What he has become, is, at least on the surface a kinder and gentler human being who better understands life and his place in it.
He was a scary dude who enjoyed hearing women scream… I think he said that in an interview. He was married to Robin Givens, who was an actress. I’m pretty sure there were claims of marital abuse.
Boxing/MMA gym owner here. I was at the RPI Fieldhouse in Troy, NY, on February 16, 1986, the day Mike Tyson beat Jesse Ferguson. When I heard the uppercut land that put Ferguson down in the 5th round, I turned to my uncle sitting next to me and said this guy was going to be the next heavyweight champion of the world.
I’d never seen anything like him, before or since.
I thought he was incredible. And I appreciated how he studied the history of boxing and he really enjoyed the fighters of the lighter weight classes. He was must see television. A complete spectacle.
But my grandfather kept saying that he’ll get beat someday by somebody who isn’t as talented, but won’t be intimidated by him and then it will be over for Mike. And my grandfather was right.
I remember watching the Buster Douglas fight on HBO upstairs in my room. I was a teenager. It was on very late at night. And I was kinda fading in and out and flipping the channel occasionally. My dad was watching it in my parents bedroom with my mom sleeping. After every round, my dad would open the door and say something to the effect ‘I think Douglas took that one’ or ‘Tyson ain’t looking good’ or ‘Douglas really hurt him that round!’ And then Tyson knocked Douglas down and for the first time I saw a boxer that Mike knocked down and the boxer wasn’t all that hurt or scared. That’s when I knew Tyson was done.
But I’m glad for Buster Douglas. Seems like a nice enough guy, got his belt, got his money and got out of boxing. Incredible underdog story that I don’t think gets enough appreciation because Douglas was so much bigger than Tyson.
Comments
Please do not comment directly to this post unless you are Gen X or older (born 1980 or before). See this post, the rules, and the sidebar for details. Thank you for your submission, PrestonRoad90.
I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please contact the moderators of this subreddit if you have any questions or concerns.
Not favorably. Rape conviction and biting a chunk of Holyfield’s ear off were super bad looks. Plus he seemed like an angry guy. His association with Don King didn’t help either. Seems like he’s turned his life around though which is super encouraging.
Scary, in and out of the ring.
Everybody has a plan until they get punched in the mouth
Toughest boxer ever. Could not be beat in his prime.
A bad bad man.
I had his poster on my wall.
A modern equivalent to me would be Conor McGregor. You have a guy who coming up is just wowing everyone. Extremely dominant championship performances. Then gets the millions and loses their damn mind and ruins what could have been an amazing career.
I thought he was an unstable predator.
Enough to pay $100 ppv and huddle around a tube TV and have a party knowing the fight was going to last a round or two.
Used to watch him on HBO. Unstoppable around 21 and before.
Just came forward like a tank with crushing punches. No defence against him but running away.
I was not a boxing fan, still are not, but wow!
The most exciting boxer of my lifetime. The only guy I would pay to see destroy his opponent. Then he blew it all. Like so many others in sports.
Not very much. He beat his first wife — Robin something from Head of The Class TV show and then he raped a woman. Nope, didn’t think anything good about him.
Amazing boxer, total psycho.
That he was a dumbass violent rapist.
Good, better, best, bested is the declension.
I thought he was wackadoo.
Could have been the greatest of all time. When his first trainer, Cus D’Amoto died, the team surrounding him let him down. His life went sideways. But I’ve never seen anyone that inspired fear in the ring like he did. His opponents talked a big game until they got in the ring, and you could see their fear.
He was a force of nature, but as a former trainer, I could see the flaw. It was just a matter of time until someone could survive the first onlsaught and fight him out. Once that was figured out…… But gosh it was fun to watch while it lasted.
Great and dirty (at times) boxer. Serious mental health issues. He is also a sympathetic character if you look at his history and his trainer who helped him along his way. Sometimes a nuanced view can show a flawed human that has seen many struggles (many of his own making).
It’s hard to overestimate how popular he was in his prime. He was considered unbeatable and was a money printing machine.
Unfortunately, he made some terrible choices and was fleeced by Don King, so his legacy will be checkered at best.
I’ll never forget seeing him bite a chunk of his opponents ear off in the middle of the match the man was brutal!
He was pretty tough.
He was a good boxer, also kind of dumb, violent outside the ring, rapist. If I were to encounter him then or now I’d carefully step away.
You know, Ol’ Iron Mike.
He liked Evander’s ear
I didn’t think about him
You mean the rapist?
Monster.
As a boxer – the best of his generation. A candidate for greatest of all time. Devastating opponent in the ring. Not just ‘wins by knockout’, but ‘wins by knockout in a ridiculously small amount of time’.
His personality has mellowed, and he seems to be a somewhat responsible human being. But when he was younger, he appeared like a dangerous person who needed supervision to not be a danger to the outside world.
Sugar Ray Leonard was my favorite
Not at all
Baddest man on the planet! Watching his fights literally made your heart beat fast like a Rocky movie not like watching a jab here a jab there and who’s ahead on the count? More like do we need a body bag?
Way back in the day – not even sure he’d won his first championship but he was known – my sister met him one evening. They hung out and danced. According to her he was very shy, very sweet. It was a pretty upscale place and he seemed a bit fish out of water and nervous, trying to fit in. Had some handlers. She liked him.
He was a monster. Until Buster Douglas fought the perfect fight. Kept him off balance with that jab.
Big dude.
While he was competing, thought he was unbeatable.
After losing to Buster, wondered if ANY of that would have happened under Cus, and if he’d ever be able to climb back up (in boxing and life).
When he got out of prison: was sad to realize that we boxing fans will never know just how dominating he could have been, had his life not gone so far off the rails. Felt kinda robbed. Especially because he was still successful AFTER he went through everything he did. Which only made me even sadder at what the boxing world lost.
He was a New York local hero. We all knew he was a simple dude, a little scary but he had heart and was a winner. I felt really bad for him when his coach Cus D’Amato died, he was truly like a father to him. Worst thing that ever happened to Mike
Beast
He bragged that his best punch was Robin Givens. I think he’s an animal.
Hardly ever
Must see TV (for the 30 seconds the fights lasted).
Jesus man. He was scary just watching on TV.
I saw through to a very wounded child that had no coping skills whatsoever. As an athlete? One of the best ever. I’m so glad he’s still around and seems to be in a better place.
Piece of shit – He raped a girl & was convicted. Served 3 years of a 6 year sentence
I never followed boxing, so no opinion.
I remember he bit someone and raped his wife.
He was like a gladiator who was born during the wrong era.
Which “back in the day”? Junior Olympics/Golden Gloves back in the day? Early professional career back in the day? Post-prison boxing career back in the day? The Hangover and other films back in the day?
Mike Tyson would have gone down in fame as one of the greatest boxers of all time since he had the combination of raw power and technique in equal measure, and you usually see that boxers lean to one side or the other. He might have been regarded as an equal to Muhammad Ali by the end of his career.
Instead, probably in grief at the passing of his coach, who had always been a stabilizing force in his life, and because of the poor pharmaceuticals we had at the time for mood stabilization, and probably no thanks to his ex-wife, he lost the plot. He turned the whole sport of boxing into a mockery of itself.
I only ever saw two Tyson fights live; when he lost to Buster Douglas and when he bit Evander Holyfield’s ear. Needless to say, that colored my opinion of him.
He was a beautiful machine of raw power and fury
Scary.
Personal character aside, in his prime one of the greatest heavyweights to ever lace up the gloves. That debacle against Jake Paul back in November should never have happened. Shout out to Irish boxer Katie Taylor who fought in the undercard match.
Cus D’Amato turned him into a boxer, but not a person. Sad.
Steroid enhanced. A complete and total fraud.
An animal
I was a boxer in my teens and my build was similar to Tyson so I looked towards him for inspiration like you would another skilled athlete that’s relevant to your sport. I liked him as a boxer.
I like to listen to some interviews with him now that he’s older, it feels like age did a lot of good for him.
He was an uncaged animal being exploited by unscrupulous managers
Ewww, wasn’t into boxing though!
I am impressed with his cannabis ear shaped gummies
I was getting old already. Thought he was a psycho and missed the days of finesse with Muhammed Ali.
I have always loved Mike Tyson and even more when his animated show Mike Tyson Mysteries was on. I freaking love that show and Pigeon especially.
He was a beast. If you wanted to build the perfect fighter, you couldn’t do better than Mike Tyson. Ferocious, aggressive, unparalleled punching power, excellent footwork, great upper body movement and defensive skills. He wasn’t in the ring to showboat. He was a warrior 100% focused on destroying his opponent
Savage Animal. Eater of human flesh.
Unbelievable boxer with a very messed up mind.
Tyson, good fighter, hot head, bad temper, wouldn’t want to meet him at night on a dark street.
Fun, exciting, great showman … Overrated, untested and dodged the best competition.
I said it back when he was in prison, and I will say it to this day: fourth or fifth best heavyweight of his era after Bowe, Holyfield and Lewis.
He was a total bad ass when I was a kid.
My dad’s boss paid 15k per ticket for him and my dad to see Tyson fight in Vegas, it was the fight that Tyson knocked the guy out in like 30 seconds.
He was the best, must watch stuff.
I thought he would kill someone in the ring
Ferocious
I was absolutely dumbfounded when Buster Douglas beat him.
Best professional boxer ever. The greatest ever amateur was Teófilo Stevenson.
He’s a wreckin machine
He was as dumb as a roll of quarters and people took advantage of him.
Ferocious
I thought he was a beast in the ring, likely mistreated outside of it. Too young to have the power and no one but Cus to really guide him. Once Cus passed, there was no one in it for Mike, everyone was in it for money. You add this to the pressures of fame, I can’t see how it could have been much different, aside from the rape and prison time.
What he has become, is, at least on the surface a kinder and gentler human being who better understands life and his place in it.
He was a scary dude who enjoyed hearing women scream… I think he said that in an interview. He was married to Robin Givens, who was an actress. I’m pretty sure there were claims of marital abuse.
Today, he seems like a totally different person
Absolute legend, nothing but respect for the man..
Nobody more terrifying in the ring than Iron Mike. Just ask the dudes he fought while he was in his prime.
Absolute beast. You really needed to see just how dominant he was.
He was great. Tough, charismatic and a showman.
Boxing/MMA gym owner here. I was at the RPI Fieldhouse in Troy, NY, on February 16, 1986, the day Mike Tyson beat Jesse Ferguson. When I heard the uppercut land that put Ferguson down in the 5th round, I turned to my uncle sitting next to me and said this guy was going to be the next heavyweight champion of the world.
I’d never seen anything like him, before or since.
I thought he was incredible. And I appreciated how he studied the history of boxing and he really enjoyed the fighters of the lighter weight classes. He was must see television. A complete spectacle.
But my grandfather kept saying that he’ll get beat someday by somebody who isn’t as talented, but won’t be intimidated by him and then it will be over for Mike. And my grandfather was right.
I remember watching the Buster Douglas fight on HBO upstairs in my room. I was a teenager. It was on very late at night. And I was kinda fading in and out and flipping the channel occasionally. My dad was watching it in my parents bedroom with my mom sleeping. After every round, my dad would open the door and say something to the effect ‘I think Douglas took that one’ or ‘Tyson ain’t looking good’ or ‘Douglas really hurt him that round!’ And then Tyson knocked Douglas down and for the first time I saw a boxer that Mike knocked down and the boxer wasn’t all that hurt or scared. That’s when I knew Tyson was done.
But I’m glad for Buster Douglas. Seems like a nice enough guy, got his belt, got his money and got out of boxing. Incredible underdog story that I don’t think gets enough appreciation because Douglas was so much bigger than Tyson.
The most ferocious boxer that I have ever seen.
A fuckin beast
He seemed unstoppable until Don King got his hooks into him. Then it seemed like he started focusing too much on other things than boxing.