I don't know how many people here actually saw the fight, but the match played out exactly how I thought it would. Tyson looked lost out there, and Lewis dominated. It's sad to see Tyson have fallen to this considering what he once was.
EDIT: by the way, for those who don't know, Lewis knocked Tyson out in the 8th.
(edited by TheBucsFan on 9.6.02 0012) Mean Gene: "You know, I don't think it's a question - Goldberg, I don't think it's a question of who's next, I think it's a question of who's left?" Goldberg: "No, see, that's where you're wrong. It ain't who's left, it's - WHO'S NEXT?"
"Just how hardcore am I? Well this morning, I drank milk that was two days past the expiration!" -Norman Smiley
Didn't watch, but followed the round-by-round reports on ESPN.com. Sounds like Lewis dominated from start to finish.
I was watching Sports Century about Mike Tyson, and really you could learn all you needed to know about what would happen in this fight from that show. Tyson simply is no longer the fighter he was in '86 and '87. He lost his skills (mainly because he chose to surround himself with idiots) even before Buster Douglas. The only thing that he was getting by on was reputation, fighters were literally scared of him before they got into the ring because the thought was that he was invincible. Douglas showed that Tyson could be beat, and from that point on the top boxers were no longer scared of Tyson. Tyson can't handle guys he can't push around or intimidate. He really can't handle guys willing to push him around and go after him. Teddy Atlas said that once you can't push a guy around, you have to rely on character, and Tyson doesn't have any. I think that sums it up. Now add the fact that Tyson is no spring chicken, and he has spent more time in jail than in a boxing ring the last decade, and there was no reason to think Tyson would suddenly become a good boxer again and beat Lewis.
I guess to Tyson's credit though, he did take his beating like a man, which is more than I thought he would (assuming nothing goofy has happened in the post-fight). But the question is, now what does Tyson do?
I saw it. Man that's the kinda fight that really trashes a myth. I was pulling for Lewis, but this match was a massacre from the get go. You woulda thought Tyson would gotten more than about 3 good shots in.
I don't see him getting anymore title shots. He might as well join a circus so he can at least keep making some money.
Mean Gene: "You know, I don't think it's a question - Goldberg, I don't think it's a question of who's next, I think it's a question of who's left?" Goldberg: "No, see, that's where you're wrong. It ain't who's left, it's - WHO'S NEXT?"
"Just how hardcore am I? Well this morning, I drank milk that was two days past the expiration!" -Norman Smiley
...who just got his ass kicked...but trust me, he's still the BADDEST MAN ON THE PLANET
Mean Gene: "You know, I don't think it's a question - Goldberg, I don't think it's a question of who's next, I think it's a question of who's left?" Goldberg: "No, see, that's where you're wrong. It ain't who's left, it's - WHO'S NEXT?"
"Just how hardcore am I? Well this morning, I drank milk that was two days past the expiration!" -Norman Smiley
That was a total massacre. I found myself scanning the crowd looking for the celebs. Rock was right in the middle of the main camera. I know Vince was there too, but i couldn't pick him out.
Originally posted by mskjThat was a total massacre. I found myself scanning the crowd looking for the celebs. Rock was right in the middle of the main camera. I know Vince was there too, but i couldn't pick him out.
Hey was probably hiding his face because he predicted Tyson would dominate Lewis and Vegas would throw Tyson a party on Costas. *L* Then again, considering what everyone predicted THIS week on the same show, I really bet they wish they hadn't gone on record.
On another note, ya think lewis studied Harley Race's method of busting an eyebrow open? Tyson looked messed up out there the the last three rounds.
Just sad. A lot of people thought Tyson would get himself DQ'ed once he saw he couldn't win. I feel like that's essentially what he did. He didn't get DQ'ed, but after his flurry in the first round didn't faze Lewis at all, he decided not to participate in the fight. Honestly, it's the same thing... the same cowardly, "I'd rather lose with an excuse than try to win" bullshit.
Could you believe it when he told his trainer he didn't want to go anymore? What the hell.
The guy has no desire even to box anymore, much less to be the heavyweight champion of the world. I shudder to think of what happens when the paychecks stop coming in, which quite possibly (hopefully?) will be very soon now after this.
Jesus Christ was that the massacre of the century or what? I think the 13" reach advantage is obviously what killed Tson as he wasn' able to get inside on Lewis at all while Lewis jabbed away and broke Tyson down. Quote of the evening: "You know Jim [Grey], I think I could beat him".
What was the deal with the entrence music. Boxing wants some credibility but a song with "yo mother fukkkerr, I'll stick it up your pusaaaaaaaa, byyatch" For me that was surreal. It certainly wasn't Eye of the Tiger...LOL
Tyson looked horrible, he looked and was outmatched every step of the way. If they fight 5 times in a row I'm positive that Tyson wouldn't win once, not even by fluck. This has to be the end, there is nothing left. The boxer was gone a long time ago, but the mystic died tonight.
(edited by Net Hack Slasher on 9.6.02 0407) I don't get it, everyone loves rats, but they don't want to drink the rats milk?
Didn't know that Tyson was a mystic... yes, he looked horrible tonight. Yes, he was outclassed. But look at the stats. Tyson had only 18 rounds of real in-ring experience before tonight. Lewis had been in 12 TITLE FIGHTS. Should we really have expected anything different? Tyson himself said that he would need two warm up fights before he was ready. It's kind of sad when they bring the old horse out of the stable to see if he still has it in him... the only mistake with this situation is that I fully believe that Iron Mike does indeed have it in him. My bold prediction is that if neither boxer retires and a rematch does happen, Tyson is going to absolutely murder Lewis.
Originally posted by T.R. I feel like that's essentially what he did. He didn't get DQ'ed, but after his flurry in the first round didn't faze Lewis at all, he decided not to participate in the fight. Honestly, it's the same thing... the same cowardly, "I'd rather lose with an excuse than try to win" bullshit.
I didn't even know that there was a flurry in the first round... it just looked like Tyson was full of adrenaline. He didn't land very many shots and only won the round because Lewis was clinching so much. and that last sentence is complete bullshit. I don't think that Mike has/had any bullshit excuses for losing the fight, in fact he took losing really graciously. so what excuse are you talking about?
Originally posted by T.R. Could you believe it when he told his trainer he didn't want to go anymore? What the hell.
Would YOU have wanted to go on if you were in Tyson's shoes? He looked like a fool out there. How much of Mike Tyson is his image? Everything. Now he's been exposed. Or maybe you thought he didn't want to go on because he was in pain. Well that would be perfectly understandable too. He just got the shit kicked out of him for 6 straight rounds. His nose was broken. His eyes were bleeding. People who don't know a god damn thing about boxing get it in their heads that every fighter should be like Rocky fucking Balboa. NO ONE has that much heart. I mean, Tyson didn't even make a dent in Lewis. And you saying that him wanting to quit is just as cowardly as him biting Holyfied's ear? Give me some of your drugs because they seem to take you to a wonderful fantasy land.
Nice article by Wally Matthews at ESPN.com pretty much sums it up.
No, Kid B, this Mike Tyson will never beat this Lennox Lewis. As I mentioned in an earlier thread, Lewis had to be laser-like and he was, ripping at Tyson's face, and in the end, when everyone expected Tyson to go "nuts" he didn't have enough to do it. That being said, anyone who calls Tyson's performance "cowardly" probably wouldn't have been satisfied with anything.
Tyson is a boxing scholar. His comments at the end of the fight reflected that rare non-hyped glimpse of himself we saw occasionally when D'Amato was still alive, that he knwew he was beaten, and by a better man. Hopefully, he will keep on that even keel, and we can be left with those parting thoughts of his career.
(edited by Eddie Famous on 9.6.02 0226) ***Outrighted to Jersey City (IL) April 15, 2002***
This damn sure doesn't look like a man that is going to eat somebodies kids.....but maybe he had a big ole plate of them before he showed up at The Pyramid last night . He may not of had an appetite for kids....but he damn sure ate a extra large can of woop ass !!!
" You say heaven's for you , but I think it's hell that I see . You tell me your god is true , but I tell you MY devil is me ! " MSD 2002
Kidbrooklyn: Hey, without his past history, I would be willing to give him the benefit of the doubt. But we already know that this is a guy who wants to either win in the first round or figure out a way to get out of the fight. It's his own fault that he hasn't fought anyone good in the last five years, because he doesn't WANT to fight anybody who has the potential to beat him. He is the epitome of the bully, whom all you have to do is not run away from him, and he'll run away from you.
I read those articles too about how he was being gentlemanly and taking his beating like a man. I think that is just hype ultimately designed to try to get us to buy another psychological breakdown masquerading as a boxing match. He got his ass kicked BECAUSE he didn't try after the first round. You're saying it was the other way around, but seriously, that is not the case. He knew he couldn't win, so he didn't try. He didn't get DQ'ed this time because he would have lost $3 million from the purse if he did. So he pulled this instead. I guess you can call it brave if you want to... I guess it is, in a way... certainly braver than getting out of the match by biting the guy... basically, it's more fucked up than brave though.
He was being "gracious" to Lewis afterwards because he has very, very few paydays left, is in huge debt, and desperately needs a rematch. Remember the first thing he said to Lewis? "Great fight, great payday." What kind of statement is that???? It's ridiculous. He has no heart, and he doesn't respect himself or the sport. That is my honest opinion on where this guy comes from.
I know he is about 15 million bucks in debt. Does anyone know how much cash Tyson will pull from this match?
Mean Gene: "You know, I don't think it's a question - Goldberg, I don't think it's a question of who's next, I think it's a question of who's left?" Goldberg: "No, see, that's where you're wrong. It ain't who's left, it's - WHO'S NEXT?"
"Just how hardcore am I? Well this morning, I drank milk that was two days past the expiration!" -Norman Smiley
One of the running subplots going into the match but which wasn't brought up by the announcers last night was the Tyson being medicated issue. When they showed Tyson talking to the ref, my first thought was "it looks like they pumped him up heavily to keep him from doing something stupid and getting the purse held up." Nothing I saw in that fight, or especially the post-fight conference did anything to make me question that snap judgment. Anyone else heard anything or suspect that maybe they gave Mike an extra dose of Prozac that afternoon, which might have contributed to his near-catatonic performance out there?
How's your new love?/I hope he's doin' fine/Heard you told him that you'd love him 'till the end of time/Now, that's the same thing/the same thing you told me seems like just the other day/Gee ain't it funny, funny how time slips away? - Willie Nelson tells the truth.
"I thought it was cool how HHH just tossed Jericho out of the ring and made him vanish, possibly into another dimension, at the end of the match." - Dr. Unlikely says the funniest thing I've ever read on Wienerville
After watching the sportsCentury on Tyson before the match, I thought the same thing. They talked about how they used to take him off the medicine before matches so he would regain his aggression.
(edited by TheBucsFan on 9.6.02 1300) Mean Gene: "You know, I don't think it's a question - Goldberg, I don't think it's a question of who's next, I think it's a question of who's left?" Goldberg: "No, see, that's where you're wrong. It ain't who's left, it's - WHO'S NEXT?"
"Just how hardcore am I? Well this morning, I drank milk that was two days past the expiration!" -Norman Smiley
Originally posted by T.R.Kidbrooklyn: Hey, without his past history, I would be willing to give him the benefit of the doubt. But we already know that this is a guy who wants to either win in the first round or figure out a way to get out of the fight. It's his own fault that he hasn't fought anyone good in the last five years, because he doesn't WANT to fight anybody who has the potential to beat him. He is the epitome of the bully, whom all you have to do is not run away from him, and he'll run away from you.
I read those articles too about how he was being gentlemanly and taking his beating like a man. I think that is just hype ultimately designed to try to get us to buy another psychological breakdown masquerading as a boxing match. He got his ass kicked BECAUSE he didn't try after the first round. You're saying it was the other way around, but seriously, that is not the case. He knew he couldn't win, so he didn't try. He didn't get DQ'ed this time because he would have lost $3 million from the purse if he did. So he pulled this instead. I guess you can call it brave if you want to... I guess it is, in a way... certainly braver than getting out of the match by biting the guy... basically, it's more fucked up than brave though.
He was being "gracious" to Lewis afterwards because he has very, very few paydays left, is in huge debt, and desperately needs a rematch. Remember the first thing he said to Lewis? "Great fight, great payday." What kind of statement is that???? It's ridiculous. He has no heart, and he doesn't respect himself or the sport. That is my honest opinion on where this guy comes from.
(edited by T.R. on 9.6.02 1203)
I don't think Tyson stopped trying to win at all. It was a simple case of Lewis dominating him and Tyson being totally unable to do anything about it. Tyson looked confused, unprepared, and hurt. But he kept going.
Lewis landed four or five rights that probably would have knocked out 98% of the boxers out there right now. He even said after the match that it felt like his fist was going through Tyson's face. If Tyson didn't feel liking fighting he could have gone down to any of these. But he stayed up and kept getting pounded.
I know he is about 15 million bucks in debt. Does anyone know how much cash Tyson will pull from this match?
Both fighters were guaranteed 17 million each for the fight plus 5% gross each from the PPV revenues. The Fight was estimated at 2 million buys at $55 each so thats about 5 million more each for the fighters from those revenues, so Tyson is looking at a little over 20 million although I'm sure some of that goes to his trainers, cornermen etc. That should give Tyson about 2 million or so left after he gets out of debt. That is more than enough money to settle into a decent place, read a few books and get back into a semi-regular schedule of raping women.