Recently, American boxing columnist Stephen Edwards published an article about Michael Tyson's historical position, which sparked widespread discussion. He pointed out that despite Tyson's unprecedented influence in the world, that doesn't mean he's one of the greatest in the sport. Even in the all-time top five of the heavyweight division, he struggled to get into.
Edwards believes that the three heavyweight legends of Ali, Louis and Johnson are basically in the top three all-time. Not only did they excel technically, but they also left a deep mark on the history of boxing.
In addition, in addition to Tyson, there are many other prominent figures in heavyweight history, such as Holmes, Foreman, Fraser, Lewis, Holyfield, Liston, and Marciano, among others. Each of these fighters has achieved great results on the boxing stage, which has challenged Tyson in the all-time rankings.
Edwards breaks down the contrast between these players and Tyson in detail. He noted that while Tyson defeated Holmes, Holmes far surpassed Tyson in the number of times he defended the heavyweight belt. Foreman's winning percentage and dominance also surpassed Tyson's, and although Foreman lost to Ali, he beat Muller at the age of 45 and beat Fraser outright. Lewis defeated Tyson in 2002, and while Lewis didn't meet Tyson in his prime, he was a year older than Tyson, and Lewis also beat Holyfield, who was Tyson's insurmountable nemesis.
For several other heavyweights, Edwards believes that if Tyson meets Fraser, he must end the fight in the first 4-5 rounds or else there will be a **** annoyance, and Fraser has beaten Ali before. Foreman, due to his height and reach, can take out Fraser cleanly than Tyson. Marciano retired with 43 knockouts in 49 fights, and while his unbeaten streak doesn't tell the whole story, it does reflect some problems. Holyfield has beaten Tyson twice and is 4 years older than Tyson. Although Liston does not have Tyson's title defense, he feels that Liston can pose a great threat to Tyson if they meet head-to-head twice.
Finally, Edwards concluded that the historical status of Ali, Louis, Johnson, Foreman, Holmes, Lewis, and Holyfield is definitely higher than Tyson, and Marciano and Fraser are also likely to be higher than Tyson, and Liston and Dempsey have a smaller chance of surpassing Tyson. As for Klitschko Jr. and Tyson Fury, Edwards will not consider them to be higher than Tyson.
Opinions differ on Edwards' views. Some people think that his analysis is objective and fair, while others think that his evaluation is too subjective. In any case, the controversy over Tyson's historical place as a legend in boxing history will remain.
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