[Timoteo]

Mike was destroyed by the Don King/Robin Givens/Ruth Roper takeover. He was always that insecure, troubled kid from Brooklyn. The D'Amato/Jacobs/Cayton/Jose Torres team cared about Mike, but also kept him focused if not totally out of trouble (Mike ran a little wild up in Catskill and the Capitol District area in upstate NY, but for the most part they kept him focused and fighting). D'Amato was an amazing teacher (he taught Mike where to hit a guy for maximum effect), and they basically had him fighting at least once a month (I believe once he fought twice in the space of a week, because he was knocking most of those bums out in a round or so). Basically, instead of sparring in the gym, they had him in actual fights learning. Mike was beautiful, built perfectly for what he did. He was short, but still fought out of a crouch. He was quick, employed outstanding head movement, and worked from the body up. D'Amato demanded he start EVERY combination to the body first. He had incredible natural power. Kevin Rooney stayed in Mike's face, pushing him. Unfortunately, when first D'Amato died, then Jacobs, King found his opening. He pushed Cayton out, and King/Givens/Roper went to work on the insecure Mike. There were yes men around him now. There was no more structure or focus in the gym. Mike became a stand-up-straight headhunter, relying just on power. Gone was the crouch and head movement (making him hittable, but he had a good chin despite what happened later). When Mike went to Japan, he only had a couple of inexperienced cornermen that didn't know what they were doing. He wasn't prepared, because they figured he'd just walk through Douglas. Unfortunately, they caught a motivated Buster (his mom had just died, and he fought like he didn't give a fuck). Even with all that, Mike STILL almost knocked him out. The Mike Tyson that was getting knocked out by bums had already quit. He didn't want to fight anymore, but didn't know what else to do. He could have been among the best EVER (there was a time when I thought he was unbeatable). At his best, he walks through Lennox Lewis (couldn't handle real pressure, and his chin was PAPER). As much respect as I have for Evander Holyfield, he wasn't a real heavyweight. Because of his conditioning and heart, he outhustled most heavys, but didn't have the punch to really hurt bigger or stronger heavyweights. And he was very hittable. Mike walks through him too at his best. I ache for what Tyson could have been. His fights became such events - even though you knew it was pretty much going to end quickly. There were few figures that were more compelling. I loved his throwback approach. Black trunks, black shoes, no socks, no robe. Just a towel with a hole cut in it to put his head through.

The Tyson/Ali question is interesting. Joe Frazier was the closest thing in Ali's era to Tyson, and Mike was every bit as quick as Joe, but probably stronger with an even BETTER left hook (and that was Joe's signature punch). You see how close Ali/Frazier fights were, so I can't say for sure Ali beats Mike easy. They would have been memorable fights.