I think you just got started here: I would've gone straight to that brutal concept of "God." Mike likes "Ecce Homo"... the boy's a born philosopher, education or no. He declared to a world tv audience: "I am Alexander." I think I know what that means. I think you do too. ;)
Great reading, thanks for posting this! Based on my background in boxing and long-time study of the sport, I don't believe Tyson ever defeated a fighter who "mattered." The recognizable names he beat, such as Larry Holmes, were far past their prime. If young Mike had faced the Larry Holmes who fought Ken Norton, he might have gotten KO'd. (I trained at Holmes's gym during this period and everyone there understood that Larry took the fight for the money) Tyson's briefly-impressive technical skills seemed almost superhuman early on because he was matched against a series of tomato cans. It's a common practice in the boxing world. Cus D'Amato played it for all it was worth. Tyson's "otherness," was eaten up and amplified by the press. Even so, tall guys like Mitch Green, Quick Tillis, Jose Ribalta, and Tony Tucker gave Tyson a hard time. Like a typical boxing nerd, I've compiled a list of ten heavyweights, who, in their prime, probably would have beaten Iron Mike in his prime. But that's for another post. (Ali, Frazier, Foreman...) All said, Tyson was and remains a fascinating personality.
so true! have you read the "autobiography"--? you would love it. very funny as well as sad.
Joyce
I think you just got started here: I would've gone straight to that brutal concept of "God." Mike likes "Ecce Homo"... the boy's a born philosopher, education or no. He declared to a world tv audience: "I am Alexander." I think I know what that means. I think you do too. ;)
Great reading, thanks for posting this! Based on my background in boxing and long-time study of the sport, I don't believe Tyson ever defeated a fighter who "mattered." The recognizable names he beat, such as Larry Holmes, were far past their prime. If young Mike had faced the Larry Holmes who fought Ken Norton, he might have gotten KO'd. (I trained at Holmes's gym during this period and everyone there understood that Larry took the fight for the money) Tyson's briefly-impressive technical skills seemed almost superhuman early on because he was matched against a series of tomato cans. It's a common practice in the boxing world. Cus D'Amato played it for all it was worth. Tyson's "otherness," was eaten up and amplified by the press. Even so, tall guys like Mitch Green, Quick Tillis, Jose Ribalta, and Tony Tucker gave Tyson a hard time. Like a typical boxing nerd, I've compiled a list of ten heavyweights, who, in their prime, probably would have beaten Iron Mike in his prime. But that's for another post. (Ali, Frazier, Foreman...) All said, Tyson was and remains a fascinating personality.
If only he’d been able to retire when he was tired of it, but we expect our gladiators to die for our pleasure.