Mike Tyson - Has There Ever Been a Light Heavyweight...

[Russell]

Who could beat him?

Light heavyweight success in the heavyweight division seems to be largely due to using their superior speed and reflexes to NOT be hit.

Foster against Frazier, Spinks against Tyson, Charles against Walcott...

These all all fights involving ATG LH's that were brutally knocked out by great HW's. Saying they were brutal knockouts is an understatement, even.

So what happens when a fighter has power like Tyson and the handspeed of a damned near middleweight?

How would a LHW go about beating a prime Tyson? Is it even possible?

[fists of fury]

No. I'm dead confident of that.

[GoldenChild]

No. I'm dead confident of that.

Co-sign

[Dostoevsky]

Antonio Tarver.

[Loewe]

Is it possible that any light heavyweight champion from any era could have beaten Tyson? Sure. If Conn could almost upset Louis, I can see him giving Tyson some fits early on. If Moore could beat the best heavyweights of his day and still be valiant against Marciano and Patterson, why not invision the Old Mongoose giving Tyson some early problems?

But to actually beat Tyson? Iono. That might take someone like Fitzsimmons or some other light heavyweight who dealt with heavyweights on a regular basis, like Harold Johnson.

I guess the questions still unsettled.

I think there are some lhws who could pose problems and even beat Tyson. But like you said it must be some who have experience in fighting hws and have the skills to beat them. I don´t think Johnson could do it, he lacks the power to get Tyson´s respect. Fitzsimmons would have a chance in his era but not in Tyson´s. Archie Moore has the defence and power to give Tyson fits but I think especially Moore´s craftyness could frustrate the young and inexperienced Tyson who fought Spinks. On the other hand, Tyson was a machine that night.
If you count Sam Langford as a lhw than you have a guy which I´d pick confidently. Charles also has a chance, as has Tommy Laughran.

But the two guys with the best chances are Moore and Langford imo.

[Mike T]

I think there are some lhws who could pose problems and even beat Tyson. But like you said it must be some who have experience in fighting hws and have the skills to beat them. I don´t think Johnson could do it, he lacks the power to get Tyson´s respect. Fitzsimmons would have a chance in his era but not in Tyson´s. Archie Moore has the defence and power to give Tyson fits but I think especially Moore´s craftyness could frustrate the young and inexperienced Tyson who fought Spinks. On the other hand, Tyson was a machine that night.
If you count Sam Langford as a lhw than you have a guy which I´d pick confidently. Charles also has a chance, as has Tommy Laughran.

But the two guys with the best chances are Moore and Langford imo.No. Maybe Roy but if he gets caught once it's lights out. Moorer? no way.

[My dinner with Conteh]

Absolutely no chance.

[JohnThomas1]

Absolutely no chance.

Exactly. No light heavyweight is ever beating Tyson.

[Ezzard]

Hard to imagine. A Cruiserweight did it though. As has been said, a LHW needs to use better mobility and Tyson really had excellent mobility himself and liked nothing better than to fight a guy backing off.

[AlFrancis]

Nobody, Tyson just too fast, too powerful.

[AlFrancis]

Hang on, forgot about Hopkins.

Doesn't bear thinking about does it?

[JohnThomas1]

Hang on, forgot about Hopkins.

Doesn't bear thinking about does it?

No.

[PowerPuncher]

Holyfield was a Light Heavyweight Olympian once upon a time.

BTW Dempsey was a LHW was he not, I'm sure some will champion his chances, not me though.

But no Tyson will get to the the LHW and walk through them

[rekcutnevets]

Tyson has too much speed, power, and chin for any light heavyweight to deal with. Tyson's chin and physical strength is too imposing for any light heavy to keep him away. It is too much to ask of any smaller man to handle to beating Tyson could dish out.

Roy Jones was the only one with near enough physical talent, but I don't think Jones had the strength and chin to get out of the first couple rounds. When a fight between Tyson and Jones was in talks of being made between Jones and Tyson, I was getting prepared to bet the under. I couldn't see that fight getting past the 2nd round.

[Bigcat]

The one man in Tysons prime time that could have posed a threat only because of his tenacity and power was Mike Moorer, he was an unbeleivable light heavy..............

[My dinner with Conteh]

A very underrated light heavy, but he wasn't elusive enough and lacked the chin required to achieve this very improbable task.

[Sweet Pea]

The one man in Tysons prime time that could have posed a threat only because of his tenacity and power was Mike Moorer, he was an unbeleivable light heavy..............I'd have picked Tyson by KO1, and that is an honest prediction that I'm pretty confident on. Moorer lacked the strength, defense, and durability at LHW to deal with Tyson. He really was a better HW IMO, and tends to get quite overrated at LHW.

[Rubber Warrior]

Spinks was passed it when he fought Tyson, that and he was scared shitless going into the fight, and him fighting the likes of Cooney and that Swede did him no favors either...

During this same time frame the Cruiserweight division was taking shape, though many in the boxing community considered it a novelty division and nothing more, it wasnt even recognized by RING magazine for the longest time I dont believe. So maybe its a fair assumption to figure in that anyone from the Cruiserweight division at that time, could also been considered an over sized light heavyweight or under sized heavyweight, what have you.

Am sure Qawi would have given Tyson a better fight than Spinks would have, even Holyfield at this juncture in his career. But if you're talking strictly light heavyweights, I dont see no one from his (Tyson) era at that weight class being able to take him on, at least make it look competitive.

Is it possible that any light heavyweight champion from any era could have beaten Tyson? Sure. If Conn could almost upset Louis, I can see him giving Tyson some fits early on. If Moore could beat the best heavyweights of his day and still be valiant against Marciano and Patterson, why not invision the Old Mongoose giving Tyson some early problems?

But to actually beat Tyson? Iono. That might take someone like Fitzsimmons or some other light heavyweight who dealt with heavyweights on a regular basis, like Harold Johnson.

I guess the questions still unsettled.

It's folly that Spinks was flat-out "scared". "Rattled" would be more accurate. Rattled enough to simply go for broke trying to land his right hand. The agenda was to get it over with - one way or another.

His bout against Tangstad and Cooney were good, lucrative money bouts. The Cooney bout was particularly dramatic. As a spectator, Mike Tyson even enjoyed it.

Consider this; if Spinks hadn't fought Tangstad and Cooney, there would have been NO demand for Tyson to face him. Spinks made roughly seven million dollars with those two bouts - and the Cooney drubbing led to his making 13.5 for Tyson. All said and told, not bad.

Did you really want Spinks facing Tyson with more than the twelve months of accumulated rust he had going into that June '88 bout?

[Rubber Warrior]

As I see it, there is a vast playing field of great light heavy's - but none of them would be able to beat the 1988 Mike Tyson.

Why?

Pressure.

Tyson is known for his punching power and ferocity. I hold that what made him special in his time was his defensive prowess, combined with his forward-moving, relentless pressure that he put on foes.

He'd be putting enormous pressure on them whilst slipping the vast majority of their blows. That's when he was at his best - then his blazing fast delivery and vaunted power would bring the house down.

In order to beat Tyson, a foe had to get his respect right away. I don't see it happening from Moore to Foster through Tarver.

[MrMagic]

A Light heavyweight that could beat him?

Come on...... nobody in the history of all 175lbs'ers comes close to Mike Tyson head to head.

There's a 30lbs of sheer muscle difference in Tysons prime, and he's one of the fastest fighters every offensively, with hands and feet.

Tyson KO all LHW under 4 rounds.

[PowerPuncher]

The one man in Tysons prime time that could have posed a threat only because of his tenacity and power was Mike Moorer, he was an unbeleivable light heavy..............

Not watch Moorer-Tua then?

[guilalah]

Weighing at lightheavy weight? Langford's the only guy I see having even a very outside chance.
Maybe some of the older lightheavies, if they'd come along in Mike's day, would have turned out bigger and had more of a chance. But that's different than their weighing in at lhwt.

[TIGEREDGE]

i think the tyson of 1989 to 1991 may of been beaten by some of the more skilled and elusive lhw's of history and thats a big MAYBE

i can't think of lhw in history that could beat the animal of 86 to 88

[mcvey]

Who could beat him?

Light heavyweight success in the heavyweight division seems to be largely due to using their superior speed and reflexes to NOT be hit.

Foster against Frazier, Spinks against Tyson, Charles against Walcott...

These all all fights involving ATG LH's that were brutally knocked out by great HW's. Saying they were brutal knockouts is an understatement, even.

So what happens when a fighter has power like Tyson and the handspeed of a damned near middleweight?

How would a LHW go about beating a prime Tyson? Is it even possible?
If you mean a 175 pounder ,who beefs up to to take Tyson on ,I would say no,not Moore ,Foster,Conn ,my reason is Tyson had very special handspeed for a heavyeight,excellent power,and was a pocket Hercules,I think he gets to an LH eventually ,whether it be a great Boxer like Loughran ,Conn,or a banger like Moore ,Foster. I thnk a prime Moore gives him the most trouble,but Tyson's particular qualities give him the edge here for me

[anon1]

Who could beat him?

Light heavyweight success in the heavyweight division seems to be largely due to using their superior speed and reflexes to NOT be hit.

Foster against Frazier, Spinks against Tyson, Charles against Walcott...

These all all fights involving ATG LH's that were brutally knocked out by great HW's. Saying they were brutal knockouts is an understatement, even.

So what happens when a fighter has power like Tyson and the handspeed of a damned near middleweight?

How would a LHW go about beating a prime Tyson? Is it even possible?

No. And people - please don't name obscure 1920s fighters that would have had gotten their asses handed to them.

[Russell]

Not watch Moorer-Tua then?

Moorer had a habit of getting off the canvas early in his career and winning. He was most dangerous when you lit a fire under his ass.

The Cooper and Holyfield I come to mind.

[janitor]

If you say that something is imposible in boxing it suggests that you lack imagination. The most I would say is that it was improbable or that it would require an all time performance.

Is it theoreticaly possible for a light heavyweight to beat a prime Mike Tyson?

Absolutely.

If they could avoid getting hit by him then they could outpoint him and once they got past the first six rounds the task would start to look eminently doable. Lets not forgett that some light heavyweights have significant advantages over Tyson in terms of reach and height.

So who is going to do it?

The best bet would be sombody verry mobile on their feet with deluxe boxing skills a sturdy chin and good reach. If I have to pick a name out of the air I would say Gene Tuney.

[enquirer]

Nope,never,zip,nadda,next....

[PowerPuncher]

It should be noted Roy Jones wanted the fight in 2003. He could at least beat Tyson to the punch with leaping left hooks, and zip back out of punching range implementing a stick and move strategy. Jones is the only 1 I'd give a chance and I still wouldn't give him much over 10% against a faded version (with him being prime)

[godking]

No

TYson is a nightmare for any LHW to fight.

The lightermans tactic of using his greater speed to outspeed the HW will not work against a guy as fast as Tyson.

Guys who try to run against Tyson get cut of and destroyed