Who is/was the biggest fraud of a "Big" Puncher??

Tyson was a good fighter, no denying that.

 

That's just plain silly. I am usually one of the first to speak up when I feel Tyson is getting overrated in some manner, but to claim he was a fraud as a big puncher is just plain wrong. Hell...when I posted this topic, Tyson wasn't even close to one of the fighters I was thinking of.

I don't know how anyone could look aT Tyson's career and claim he wasn't a big puncher. There are too many examples to list here, but here are some that illustrate his power.

Larry Holmes - Sure, Holmes should have stayed retired, but he had survived and won against the likes of Shavers (twice), Norton, Weaver, Smith, Witherspoon & Cooney...all could punch and in the case of Shavers and Cooney,,,two of the hardest punching heavies ever. And then Holmes came back out of retirement and was not stopped in 20+ fights which included Holyfield, Mercer & McCall. And in McCall's previous fight, he had dropped and stopped Lennox Lewis in 2 rounds.

Trevor Berbick - It wasn't just that he beat Berbick, it was the WAY he beat Berbick. Berbick was a sturdy, if limited, opponent who had been competitive and gone the distance with many of the best heavies around. How often do you see world class fighters who are normally resilient get knocked down three times with the same punch?

Bonecrusher Smith - I know Smith lasted the distance with Tyson, but he did so by avoiding being hit in any way he could, even at the expense of his own punch output. Going into this fight, Smith had never shown the fear of getting hit like this before. This fight was expected to be an earlier version of Tyson-Ruddock, but Smith disappointed everyone by "fighting" only to last the distance.

Tony Tubbs - Tubbs had never been stopped prior to facing Tyson and was actually giving a good account of himself prior to getting Koed. Three years later, Tubbs would go on to give future champ Riddick Bowe a very difficult fight before losing a close (and some say controversial) decision.

Frank Bruno - Bruno wasn't the best heavy around, but he was normally a tough fight for anyone until he ran out of gas, which he had the bad habit of doing in his biggest fights. Tyson was the only fighter to not have to wait until Bruno was gassed to finish him.

Buster Douglas - While I am not of the opinion that Douglas was ever in any serious danger of being stopped, that doesn't diminish that a tired and battered Tyson was able to drop Douglas with what was probably his last bit of energy in that fight.

There are other examples, but these are the ones that stand out for me during his heyday. Tyson also showed dangerous power in his post-prison career as well. Like REED said, if Tyson wasn't a big puncher and Holyfield wasn't concerned about Tyson's power, why did Evander do more holding in that fight than he ever had before?

OK...I've rambled on long enough here, but the idea that Tyson was not a big puncher really is, again, just plain silly.

 

I didn't say he wasn't a big puncher. He is. But I said a little bit overrated when you read some of the things his fans tend to post. As if he could just touch somebody and they'd just fall over, dead. ::

 

remember the punch a shot tyson landed on botha? holy shit, case closed.

punch
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rYSi-fAePl4

slow motion replay
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1TkCpzmkdlQ

 

Yep. Even when his other skills were slipping, his power made him a threat.

 

acelino freitas

 

I want to say Yori Boy Campas...but if anyone disagrees I don't care enough to argue the point.

 

he was a fraud in general. a fake chavez wannabe.

 

Dingaan Thobela scored a KO in a supermiddleweight title fight.

 

PWNED

 

Against Chinless Glenn Catley though... The same guy that was knocked out unconcious by the featherfisted Eric Lucas... Attenuating circumstances for Jaws I guess. ::

 

:laughing:

 

I think this proves my point.

 

Yeah, I thought of him when reading this thread....Showtime commentators like Ferdie Pacheco (thankfully he doesn't commentate anymore) would always talk about how Campas was a welterweight Tyson and how no one hit harder than Campas.

 

Yeah, but Iran Barkley had been beaten up by a similar quality of fight prior to Duran.

 

Point taken mr. Tam.

 

Pinklon Thomas.

 

Drug addict, Pinky? :dunno:

 

Pinklon took a better shot than all those dudes.

 

The guy was known for his iron chin.

 

He was also known to bleed from the nose over breakfast.

 

This affects nothing.

 

Well,...maybe his breakfast.

 

duran wasn't a big puncher?::

 

Maybe in your little world, my pawn.

 

Doesn't everyone:dunno:

 

Only losers, Joe.

 

Edit:

I just caught what breakfast they were talking about. LOL

 

::

 

Yeah, but Thomas was sliding fast when he faced Tyson. Thomas of 1984 and before would have been a much tougher test for Tyson. Thomas looked like crap against Berbick (and his slip was also starting to show against Weaver) and not any better against the easy opposition he faced prior to Tyson. Thomas was well on his way to "opponent" status at the time he faced Tyson.