Boxing icon Mike Tyson has legacy called into question by former coach

27 December 2023 , 13:34

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Boxing icon Mike Tyson has legacy called into question by former coach

Legendary boxing trainer Teddy Atlas has questioned whether Mike Tyson was ever a great fighter.

'Iron Mike' still holds the record for being the youngest ever heavyweight world champion, achieving the feat when he knocked out Trevor Berbick at the age of 20. Tyson went on to hold three world titles at the same time and defended them simultaneously before becoming the lineal champion with an amazing knockout of Michael Spinks.

Atlas coached Tyson from the age of 12 to 15 but their relationship came to an end when Atlas infamously pointed a gun to the boxer's head. Tyson made his professional debut three years after splitting with Atlas and the coach has now revealed his true opinions about the legendary heavyweight.

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“I don’t know if he was ever great. I know he was sensational," Atlas said of Tyson on The Lex Fridman Podcast. “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.

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"He wasn’t tested, but he might have been ready to be tested that one night against Spinks when he took him apart in 90 seconds. I think I saw a great fighter that night. A fight is not a fight until there’s something to overcome. If you go by my definition, Tyson was only in six fights in his life. The fights that there was something to overcome, he didn’t overcome it.”

"I don’t know if there’s ever been anyone who could punch as good as he did on either side with either hand other than Joe Louis and a few others. I don’t know if there’s ever been such a combination of speed and power to that pure level that he had, and it was a pure level. I don’t know if there was ever as good a fighter as Tyson was for maybe one night he was great."

Tyson hasn't fought since his one-off exhibition fight against fellow legend Roy Jones Jr three years ago. The 57-year-old was recently called out by Tyson Fury's dad John, but 'Iron Mike' dismissed any chance of the fight taking place by labelling John as "out of mind" about the exhibition.

Harry Davies