Would Tyson have been the best if he didn't lose Cus D Amato?

Question

I personaly think that Mike Tyson in his prime could have taken holyfield, and he should have finished Douglas when he had the chance. He was an amazing fighter to watch in his prime with great movement, speed, and of course power in both hands. He was smooth and controled. Once he signed on with Don King he became arrogant and begin to lack training and disaplin. He got sloppy and only wanted one punch k.o.s and never used his skill.

so could mike tyson have been the best boxer of all time if he wasnt corrupted.

Answer 1

Yes he could have.  Once he signed up with King it was the beginning of the end of his career.  Tyson's skills started to diminish when King forced out Rooney.  He started lifting heavy weights to build up a strong looking body but lost his fighter's physique, i.e. speed, wind, and muscle.  In his first fight with only King people at his side, he carried Mitch Green for twelve rounds in a very odd fight.  IMO, it was the modern version of a fix: carry a guy you should and can knock out for twelve rounds.  After that fight, I knew he was going in the wrong direction.

Answer 2

If not, pretty close to it.Can't see him losing to holyfield with Cus.

Answer 3

if mike still had cus, then he would have beaten douglas, but holyfield always had his number.

evander would've beaten him in the summer of '90, but he would have rebounded, not gone to jail, but he would never regain the undisputed title...if it split up, like it did when bowe had it, he would have won back a piece of it,(and did for a short time) but would have held it a little longer if he stayed away form holyfield and lewis,

Answer 4

Mike is a living legend... If you wathced his fights during his early days if fighting, you will see that no one can compare on how strong he was before... he finished his oponents in 1 - 5 rounds...and most of his wins are knock outs...proving that he is really the "IRON MAN"...

Answer 5

Mike would have been fine without Cus D'Amato.  The Tyson camp knew Cus was sick and they were prepared for his passing.  What they didnt prepare for was the passing of Jim Jacobs.  That was the beginning of the end for Tyson.

Rooney was never a great trainer.  However, he had a good work relationship with Mike.  Jim was the one who molded Mike and prepared him to deal with society in ways that even Cus didnt prepare him for.  Cus gave Mike his start,  Jim took Mike under his wing.  

Jacobs was an amazing speaker and person.  He could relate to anyone,  a wino on the streets or men who ran Wallstreet.  He could relate to a young black kid from Brownsville.  Don King couldnt get near Mike with all that phony ''Mah brotha'' c**p he fed Mike.  Don knew he was no match for Jacobs.  

Once Jacobs died at age 51 of pneumonia,  It was open season for Mike.  Robin and her mom had already began to weaken the foundation.  Still Mike would have been ok with Jim around.  When Jim died it was only Bill Cayton, Rooney and Steve Lott.  None of them could really relate to Mike.  Rooney might have but he was busy with his growing drinking and gambling problem, compliments of Camp Tyson.

Things began to fall apart on two fronts.  Jacobs died shortly before the Douglas fight.  King began to make his move.  He knew Cayton was no match for him because he could never relate to Mike.  In Cayton you have a white businessman in his 70s who only managed fighters.  He had nothing to do with the day-to-day life of the fighter.   Nothing wrong with Cayton as a person.   He just couldnt relate to Mike the way Jim could.  

Don knew what was missing in Mike's life.  Mike was at a crossroads.   He could continue on the path Cus and Jacobs started him on or he could follow the hoodlums he grew up with.  Don related to, and used, the hoodlums to get to Mike.  Once that happened it was just a matter of time before Cayton and Rooney were forced out.   To his credit,  Rooney chose to remain loyal to Cayton and the former Camp Tyson.

In the Douglas fight,  Mike was so swarmed with  "do this--do that'',  he wanted OUT.  Not to say he threw the fight.  That's not the case at all.  He just didnt care to train.  Not only did he take Douglas lightly,  he didnt care about the title at all.  He wasnt sure what he wanted.  

After the two Ruddock fights and a few others Mike was sent to prison for rape.  Of all the stupid thing Mike has done in his career and life,  I still dont believe that what happened in that hotel would have been considered ''rape'' had it involved other parties.  I know people who grew up with Deserie.  Her reputation is dubious at best.   Not that it gives any man the right to have his way with her but there was substantial evidence that implied that whatever happened between Mike and Deserie was consentual.  

After prison Mike lost focus.  He could have honned his skills once again.  Instead he began believing in his own press.  He was ILL prepared for Holyfield the first time and Knew he couldnt win the second time.  Then there is the farce against Lennox Lewis.   Although the two are the same age,  it was clear that Lewis had lived a much cleaner life than did Tyson.  

The rest is academic.  Now I hear whispers of Tyson-Holyfield 3.  That's like tying a crack addict to a pole and challenging him to a fight.  Tyson has no shot.

Answer 6

Tyson would have been MUCH BETTER if he didn't lose Cus. Back when Mike started as a fighter; I knew some Detectives who knew a lot of fight people like Eddie Futch, Riddick Bowe & Cus. I  met Futch & Bowe and saw Mike spar as a teenager & , as they say, " had it on good authority " that ONLY Cus was ever able to fully control & discipline Mike. When Cus died.......it was the beginning of the end for Mike. We will never know just how great Tyson might have been ?

Answer 7

i would say robin givens, desiree washington , don king, etc ruined mike tyson.

Answer 8

You are darn right he would have been. More to the point, if he stayed with Rooney as a trainer and Jacobs/Clayton as management.

Don King and that Ruth Rooper kill Tyson's career.

He may have been a caged lion but they knew how to bring the best out in him!!

Answer 9

Good question!Mike Tyson was a breath of fresh air to boxing in the mid?late 80's,nothing like him since Ali,and there's been nothing since.Mikes demise came around the time d'amatoe died,Jim Jacobs,then that f-ing rodent Robin Givens and her Mam.Then came Mr King,Keven Rooney went,and the slag set up Desiree Washington,and the rest is history.Mike's problem's outside the ring contributed to his demise in the ring,esp without his mentor Gus D'amatoe.A look at Mikes demise as a tragedy,for me his true greatness never materialised cos of the above.

Answer 10

can't get past his sit down strike in the 6th..champions don't do that.. cowards like me do!  lol

Answer 11

No, Cus wouldn't have been able to stop the self destructive path Mike chose to walk in life.  As for Tyson being considered anything other than a well marketed slugger with a fall of fame support group who provided that best launch of a boxer's career in history, I can't say much else positive about Mike.  He was never close to the best from a historical perspective.