Teddy Atlas Questions Mike Tyson’s Status As A Boxing Great
In the latest boxing news, Teddy Atlas has cast doubts on whether Mike Tyson was a great boxer.
Iron Mike is one of the most iconic boxers, and his achievements in the ring do back that up. He became the world’s undisputed heavyweight champion when he defeated Tony Tucker in 1987. Before his first defeat to Buster Douglas, Tyson had a remarkable 37 wins, with no losses, 33 of which were by knockout.
He also had memorable wins over Trevor Berbick, which made him the youngest heavyweight champion of all time at the age of 20. Tyson also gave Larry Holmes his first knockout loss, showing that he was at the elite level. He also had many key strengths. Tyson’s power, particularly his hooks and uppercuts, was devastating. He also had speed, combination punching and a ruthless intent on going to the body. But for all the skills, Atlas still had a few concerns over whether he was great.
Atlas On Tyson
“I don’t know if he was ever great. I know he was sensational. [And] I know he was the greatest mix of maybe speed and power ever. I know he was one of the greatest punchers from either side of the plate, left or right. There’s been great punchers with just the right hand like Earnie Shavers and Deontay Wilder and Max Baer. I don’t know if there’s ever been anyone who could punch as good as (Tyson) did on either side with either hand other than Joe Louis and a few others,” Atlas said
Nevertheless, Tyson’s behaviour has damaged his legacy somewhat. The boxer was convicted of rape in 1992 and was sentenced to six years in jail. He also faced allegations of domestic violence during his marriage to Robin Givens. Inside the ring, Tyson was equally as controversial.
Tyson’s Weaknesses
He infamously bit the ear of Evander Holyfield during their rematch in 1997 as Tyson was disqualified. That resulted in his boxing licence being suspended before being given it back. Despite those controversies, Atlas outlined other reasons why Tyson fell short of the greats. He felt the boxer was too reliant on exposing his opponents’ weaknesses rather than capitalising on his strengths. The defeats to Buster Douglas and Evander Holyfield were brought up to support that.
“To not rely on someone else’s weakness to be strong, to be strong on your own. Too often, (Tyson) relied on other people’s weakness, whether it’s by being intimidated or whether it was because his talent was so much greater than theirs that it was like putting a monster truck in there with a Volkswagen.
“But a fight is not a fight until there’s something to overcome. So, if you go by my definition, not Webster’s, pretend it means something, Mike Tyson was only in five (six) fights in his life. The fights where there was something to overcome, he didn’t overcome it,” Atlas stated
Boxers will always face criticism, as opinions are subjective. But Tyson’s place in boxing history is there for all to see. He was inducted into the ‘International Boxing Hall of Fame’ in 2011, making him one of the best of all time. His career has gone on to inspire boxers to this day.
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