What are Tyson's 5 best wins?

[PH|LLA]

in order of course.

[lefthook31]

Spinks domination of the linear champion
Ruddock 2 showed a lot of grit and heart against a dangerous guy
Tubbs blowout of a solid fighter with very savvy technical skills
Holmes (never been ko'd)
Thomas (never been ko'd)

[PH|LLA]

surely his first win over Ruddock is better than the 2nd?

[lefthook31]

surely his first win over Ruddock is better than the 2nd?

Both were impressive but being forced to go twelve against a banger like Ruddock who was primed for the rematch showed some stuff even though technically Tyson was no longer at his best.

[Jaws]

Spinks domination of the linear champion
Ruddock 2 showed a lot of grit and heart against a dangerous guy
Tubbs blowout of a solid fighter with very savvy technical skills
Holmes (never been ko'd)
Thomas (never been ko'd)

Tubbs had also never been KO'd, and his only loss to that point was a mixed decision against Witherspoon.

I like your list, but would switch out Ruddock 2 for Berbick.

There are other possibilities too, but it depends if you are looking more at Tyson's performance, or the quality of the opponent.

[lefthook31]

Just a nice variety to showcase Tyson as a complete fighter. I think he answered every question in those fights but yes Berbick was an excellent win

[djanders]

Berbick, Smith, Tucker, Holmes, Spinks...in my opinion.

[PhillyPhan69]

1. Holmes
2. Spinks
3. Ruddock I
4. Ruddock II
5. Thomas

[The Funny Man 7]

1.) Spinks
2.) Holmes
3.) Thomas
4.) Tubbs
5.) Berbick

[bodhi]

1. Spinks
2. Ruddock I
3. Berbick
4. Holmes
5. Tucker

[techks]

Holmes
Spinks
Berbick
Bruno 2
Ruddock 1

[manbearpig]

1. Holmes
2. Spinks
3. Ruddock I
4. Ruddock II
5. Thomas
Haw, cunt, I answered your fucking thread.

Spinks
Ruddock
Holmes
Thomas
Berbick

[Jorodz]

fuck, this is tough. good picks so far. my top choice won't get a lot of support but...

1)Biggs
2)Spinks
3)Holmes
4)Berbick
5)Thomas

[mr. magoo]

1. Spinks - Dispatched the undefeated lineal champ, in a record setting first round KO.

2. Berbick - Became youngest titlist in history by scoring a devastating knockout over a very durable opponent.

3. Tucker - Unified the heavyweight crown against a 35-0 alpha champ.

4. Ruddock I - was able to out gun a very physically imposing opponent, and managed to force a stoppage, albeit controversial.

5. Thomas - a very good first title defense against a man who had never been stopped and was generally viewed as one of the best in the division over the previous 3 years.

[RockysSplitNose]

Here goes with my shout:

1. Mitch Blood Green
2. James Quick Tillis
3. Jose Ribalta
4. Tony TNT Tucker
5. Tyrell Biggs

I have Tyson's career fights collection on DVD - never get tired of it - if there was one thing i could take to a desert island with me...

[choklab]

I think it is harder to decide tysons best wins than a lot of other champions. most other champions show a number of mature well rounded peformances against good opponents who were trying to win, where as tyson either had a lot of easy wins that didnt last long enough and in the longer fights he had a lot of quiet moments where he seemd to wait for something to hapen. he did fight a lot of spoilers to be fair.
tyson was breathtaking against mismatched guys on the way up. however, when he was champion he did dominate and ko top contenders also.

I think beating spinks in one round realy demonstrated tysons dominance. on paper it represented the biggest test and he just blew him away but it was just a blow out. does that make marciano v walcottII and louis v schmelingII louis and marcianos best wins? does a blow out realy show enough of a performance that one can asses fully like Louis v baer?

perhaps a fight where tyson showed methodical, total control over a longer distance was breaking down and beating a much longer armed opponent to the punch (on the outside!) in the terel biggs fight. terrel was unbeaten and proven. but the fight itself was a bit repetative and one paced. maybe i am being fussy but the performance lacked variation and sustained atacks.

thomas and holmes were his best scalps and he knocked them both out but holmes was inactive and undeserving of a shot and until the finish the thomas fight was a bit labouring.

1. mike spinks
2. frank bruno II
3. larry holmes
4. terrel BIGGS
5. pinklon thomas


I also think he was beter than people think against norris and saverese.

[RockysSplitNose]

One that I was playing about with was the Golota match too because I think Golota was a stern test - big, tough, heavy handed, could take some serious shots on the chin and I think he also was giving Tyson a good fight and fighting back when he mentally folded - my actual picks were based on Tyson being in fights which demanded something more from him than just blasting out skinny, frightened guys - I admit that, say, the Spinks fights was scary punching from Tyson but Spinks really offered zilch (nothing, numero zero) he looked as though he really was bricking himself (pooing his pants) and just skittered about - all Tyson had to do was go for him and get the shots on and it was easy for him - I personally think the Mitch Green fight was his best performance-wise and Green's chin was simply unreal - would've loved to have seen a rematch (or I suppose a third one depending on whether you count the street fight haha)

[Danny]

Michael Spinks (No one saw Tyson ending it that early)

Larry Holmes (Tyson is the only man to score a TKO over Holmes)

Trevor Berbick (A new Era begins in Boxing, Berbick is rocked all over the place)

Alex Stewart (Stewart was considered a big punchers himself & some fifteen months prior to meeting Tyson, Alex gave Holyfield hell in their first fight. Very underrated win of Tyson's imo)

Tyrell Biggs (Biggs did not have a great deal of experience, but by the end of the first, beginning of the second, Tyson had got to him with his body attack. Performance epitomises how to a slow your opponent down)

[choklab]

One that I was playing about with was the Golota match too because I think Golota was a stern test - big, tough, heavy handed, could take some serious shots on the chin and I think he also was giving Tyson a good fight and fighting back when he mentally folded - my actual picks were based on Tyson being in fights which demanded something more from him than just blasting out skinny, frightened guys - I admit that, say, the Spinks fights was scary punching from Tyson but Spinks really offered zilch (nothing, numero zero) he looked as though he really was bricking himself (pooing his pants) and just skittered about - all Tyson had to do was go for him and get the shots on and it was easy for him - I personally think the Mitch Green fight was his best performance-wise and Green's chin was simply unreal - would've loved to have seen a rematch (or I suppose a third one depending on whether you count the street fight haha)


yes i liked the green fight too. greens holding spoiled what was the best aray of skill and workrate mike showed. tyson still had the focus then he didnt bite or lose his temper he just kept to his boxing and putting the punches together. people forget he bit jese ferguson and was bad tempered when it didnt go his way even then.

[EleventhHour]

Spinks
Holmes
Tubbs
Ruddock
Berbick

[Jorodz]

Spinks
Holmes
Tubbs
Ruddock
Berbick

the tubbs and ruddock fights seem to be getting some decent respect on this thread. ruddock was a great war, well two but neither version of tyson was the very best...though i guess that's the point. those are the only fights that he really triumphed over adversity. tubbs was a great fighter but was woefully out of shape for that one and it should affect how highly that win is regarded.

[lefthook31]

the tubbs and ruddock fights seem to be getting some decent respect on this thread. ruddock was a great war, well two but neither version of tyson was the very best...though i guess that's the point. those are the only fights that he really triumphed over adversity. tubbs was a great fighter but was woefully out of shape for that one and it should affect how highly that win is regarded.
Actually Tubbs was in very good shape contrary to his weight. He had prepared for that fight under a conditioning program with Lou Ferrigno. Tubbs didnt look to bad in the fight either, Tyson beat him at distance and then in close range. He was very sharp in that fight and one of the reasons I chose it as a top 5 performance. I dont know anyone can rank anything after prison in the top five of his performances.

[he grant]

Berbick
Holmes
Thomas
Briggs
Bruno 2

[Jorodz]

Actually Tubbs was in very good shape contrary to his weight. He had prepared for that fight under a conditioning program with Lou Ferrigno. Tubbs didnt look to bad in the fight either, Tyson beat him at distance and then in close range. He was very sharp in that fight and one of the reasons I chose it as a top 5 performance. I dont know anyone can rank anything after prison in the top five of his performances.

thanks for the info bout tubbs:good i'll take a second look at that fight, maybe tyson did better than i gave him credit for in that one

[bodhi]

Actually Tubbs was in very good shape contrary to his weight. He had prepared for that fight under a conditioning program with Lou Ferrigno. Tubbs didnt look to bad in the fight either, Tyson beat him at distance and then in close range. He was very sharp in that fight and one of the reasons I chose it as a top 5 performance. I dont know anyone can rank anything after prison in the top five of his performances.

Did that involve 'roids or having anger issues and getting green? :think :D :lol:

[lefthook31]

Did that involve 'roids or having anger issues and getting green? :think :D :lol:
Actually it was a sign language and pottery class.

[bodhi]

Actually it was a sign language and pottery class.

Those are quite useful skills to have :good

[mr. magoo]

t tubbs was a great fighter but was woefully out of shape for that one and it should affect how highly that win is regarded.


Agreed,

Tony Tubbs needs to be looked at more carefully before being rated as a great win for anyone beyond Witherspoon frankly.. By the time He and Tyson had met in 1988, Tubbs had not beaten a ranked opponent since 1985, and that was against Greg Page who everyone and their brother was beating. Upon Losing to Witherspoon in 1986, Tony took some 16 months off, only to return and beat 3 obscure journeyman, one of whom ( Mike Jameson ) decked him... Then came the Tyson fight, in which he was under contract to show up at something like 230 Lbs, but came in around 240... For all the money he was being paid, he couldn't even lose 10 lbs... Tyson looked impressive in dispatching him, but the actual value of the win never held much appeal for me.

[lefthook89]

Agreed,

Tony Tubbs needs to be looked at more carefully before being rated as a great win for anyone beyond Witherspoon frankly.. By the time He and Tyson had met in 1988, Tubbs had not beaten a ranked opponent since 1985, and that was against Greg Page who everyone and their brother was beating. Upon Losing to Witherspoon in 1986, Tony took some 16 months off, only to return and beat 3 obscure journeyman, one of whom ( Mike Jameson ) decked him... Then came the Tyson fight, in which he was under contract to show up at something like 230 Lbs, but came in around 240... For all the money he was being paid, he couldn't even lose 10 lbs... Tyson looked impressive in dispatching him, but the actual value of the win never held much appeal for me.

good point, but tubbs showed somewhat decent skills in the ring with tyson that night. even though for the most part tyson brutalized him woth body shots and that fight ending left hook, tubbs had his moments.

[lefthook89]

for me:

spinks
bruno
holmes
tucker (showed he could face adversity after getting leveled with a monster uppercut)
ruddock (dominated, over powered a big strong HW)

[TG1]

1. Tucker 2. Berbick 3. Spinks 4. Biggs 5. Bruno 2

[The Mongoose]

Bruce Seldon-Knocked him out with a miss

Orlin Norris-Broke his leg with a punch

Golota-Broke his face while high on pot

Spain-Never been stopped before

Holmes-Had two years of rest and still knocked out

:lol:

[Azzer85]

Mine Would Be
1. Spinks - Destroying the guy who some people thought was the legitimate champ and had a good chance of beating Mike...and cementing his legacy.

2. Ruddock 1 or 2 - This fight answers those critics who say "Tyson was finished after Douglas" and "Tyson had no heart" he was on the comeback trail by fighting the most dangerous heavyweight out there at the time and despite taking huge shots by a guy who wasnt "scared" Tyson still whooped his a$$, even thought he was pretty shot himself

3. Tubbs - The reason i like this fight, is that Tysons seems so dangerous, Tubbs has these quick hands which give him a little bit of an advantage in the first round, but its one of those fights where you think, its only a matter of time. The end combination of that fight is great to watch. The right to the body and then right uppercut (called the 6-4) then the left hook and Tubbs does the chicken dance

4 Tyrell Biggs - To me this answers a FEW questions on how a Tyson Vs Ali fight would go, to all those people saying Ali would wipe the floor with Mike etc. Mike was no Frazier or Foreman, He Was Iron Mike Tyson

5 Tony Tucker - Yet another fighter who wasnt scared, Tysons doesnt KO, but he outpoints a taller fighter who dances around for 12 and can hit and move and Mike easily outpoints him (Holyfield nuthuggers take note)

[Hookie]

KO2 Berbick- Tyson was on a roll, 20 years old and he just beat the crap out of a solid veteran and world title holder

KO6 Thomas- he put it all together in this fight, he beat a talented former world title holder who had never been stopped (only loss was a close decision to Berbick), he broke Thomas down and stopped him in devastating fashion

KO4 Holmes- Holmes had not fought in 2 years or won a fight in 3 but most felt he would give Tyson more problems than what he did

KO1 Spinks- not a huge surprise but most felt Spinks would find a way to trouble Tyson a little bit

NC3 Golota- I know it's an odd choice (it was a TKO win for Tyson, Golota quit after the 2nd, before it was changed to a NC due to Tyson testing positive for marijuana), but I was impressed in this fight for a couple of reasons. He was dominate and fought a clean fight when most thought he wouldn't. Also, up to that point Golota had looked good in all of his fights except his loss to Lewis. True he had the two losses to Bowe and even a TKO loss to Grant but he had still looked good in these fights right up until the crazy endings.

Tyson crushed Golota's cheekbone in this fight!

[Bigcat]

The Win over Michael Spinks was most historic,
Pinklon getting stopped was good scalp,
Unifying over Tucker was awesome, Tony came to fight..
Beating Berbick was great considering Mike was just a kid and Berbick was at least a title holder..
Ruddock was hungry and always hard to kill........ I think Mike underestimated him a touch....