Mike Tyson -vs- Roy Jones Jr.

I still say if Tyson would have kept Kevin Rooney as his trainer, he would have retired undefeated. Once Jay Bright started training him, he stopped bobbing and weaving, putting combinations together, and just looked for the one punch knockout. That's the primary reason he lost to Buster Douglas and once that air of invincibility was gone, he wasn't the same; especially against the better fighters like Holyfield and Lewis.

 

You don't lose that, intangibles like that don't go away

It wasn't Cus, it was getting rid of Kevin Rooney. He lost all of his lateral movement after he and Kevin parted ways.

Exactly right, not sure about undefeated but I don't think he loses to Buster

 

Just go back and watch some of his earlier fights. Watch how he moves side to side and finds the weakness. He was SO fast with his hands it didn't take much.

Then look at him after Rooney, he fights like a statue.

 

I've been watching a lot of his old fights on youtube. Never get tired of watching him in the pre-Douglas days. Once he gained the reputation as a ferocious puncher, @GiantDuckFan is right about one thing. Most of his opponents were scared shitless and the fight was won before it even started. Michael Spinks is the prime example.

Not only that, but what made him so effective was his brutal body shots. Most opponents tried covering their faces, which left their rib cage exposed and he exploited that like no heavyweight in a while. Probably since Liston or Foreman in his prime. His most famous combination was the double hook to the body followed by a devastating uppercut. Ask Frank Bruno how that felt.

 

Same here. I was crushed when he lost to Douglas, but I knew that he didn't train well and took Douglas for granted. Once he lost to Holyfield and Lennox Lewis, it was over for him.

 

Tyson lost his direction after cus. A few years with a child-like tyson under the corrupt soul of Don king only one outcome was possible. Robin givens would have never happened nor buster Douglas. Tyson is one of the most compelling figures in my lifetime. Cus was the only person tyson trusted and showed him love. Or loved back.

King convinced tyson to fire rooney using this same black solidarity bullshit being used on the current athletes today. Tyson soon became a headhunter in the ring and so went his career. There were mostly Peter mcneeleys after until Evander and Lennox exposed him.

 

I think he loved and trusted Jim Jacobs (not Bill Cayton though) and Rooney too, to an extent. Not like he did for Cus obviously but it was when Jacobs died and he had bloodsuckers around him including Givens, with their hands out, that he lost his way. I know he was still alive when they got together, but by then, hie was sick with cancer and fighting for his life and died a little more than a month after they got married.