I really thought Pinklon's story was gonna end differently. I'm so glad to hear he was able to overcome his addiction. What a great story and he has so much to be proud of.
Soft spoken Lennox at his best was the total package and when he fought seriously he was pretty much untouchable. The last undisputed Super Heavyweight champion emerged as cream of the crop against some of the biggest punchers in Heavyweight history. Lewis avenged his only two defeats by knockout. He didn't make excuses for his only two losses, he said, "It's Heavyweights, you can get caught, but i won the rematches in style," and, "Show me a Heavyweight Champion without a loss and i'll show you a fighter that fought a lot of nobodies." Lewis haters always say, "but he got knocked out twice ha-ha." Well i say, "Tyson got knocked out (FIVE) times ha-ha. IT'S NOT HOW YOU START, IT'S HOW YOU FINISH." Been involved with boxing many years in-n-outta the ring and 57 year old Lennox Lewis is the GOAT. To hear him talk so clearly and eloquently after going up against 18 Heavyweight Champions is remarkable. The 18 HW Champions Lewis faced: Vitali Klitschko, Evander Holyfield, Mike Tyson, Shannon Briggs, Frank Bruno, Tony Tucker, Hasim Rahman, Oliver McCall, Mike Weaver, Henry Akinwande, Tommy Morrison and Ray Mercer were later recognized as WBO champions, British HW champion Gary Mason, European HW champion Jean Chanet, Commonwealth HW champion Derek Williams, Canada HW champion Razor Ruddock, IBF/WBF HW champion Michael Grant, and WBC International HW champion David Tua...*[[ technically not all were 'World' champions but champions nonetheless ]]. Other notable mentions; Olympic HW Gold medalist Tyrell Briggs, Andrew Golota, Zeljko Mavrovic, Frans Botha and Phil Jackson --(the best Heavyweight resume in boxing)
'Prime' Tyson was pre-Douglas Tyson which means pre-Feb 1990 Tyson. Well, Lewis turned pro in June 89 and although he had 7 fights in that 7 month period, by the time Tyson lost in Japan, Lewis was still fightin in leisure centres; untelevised bouts for which he was probably paid about 10 thousand a go. I’d be fascinated to know where a fledgling heavy who was still 7 fights from competing for his first title of any sort got those millions to pay the world heavyweight champion (Tyson) to avoid him!!! Back in 1996, Lewis was on the comeback trail following his shock KO defeat to Oliver McCall, which cost him his WBC heavyweight title. McCall had since lost the belt to Frank Bruno who was then knocked out by Tyson. At this point, Lewis was in line for a shot at his old crown and took legal action to force his opportunity. The New Jersey Supreme Court blocked Tyson’s plan to fight WBA champion Bruce Seldon, insisting that he must first face Lewis As a result, the two camps worked out a deal which saw the Brit receive a payment of $4million to allow Tyson vs Seldon to take place. Ultimately Tyson stopped Seldon in one round, claimed the WBA belt and then vacated the WBC, which Lewis won back in his rematch with McCall. Eventually, when the pair did meet in 2002, Lewis dominated and KOd Tyson. Lennox Lewis was the one everyone wanted to avoid at all cost. He was the the guy they all ducked be it through crooked ranking bodies or promoters protecting their fighters. He is without question a top 5 Heavyweight imo.
Lewis was older. It was a Championship fight and Tyson was ready, he said, 'he was'. "Basically, I believe it's a good time for me to retire. I know there could be no better time for me to go, after beating Mike Tyson who overshadowed me for so long, without fighting real fights for ten years." -- Lennox Lewis after beating Mike Tyson Iron Mike was the world's greatest front runner. Never did he walk through fire and win. He never came from behind to win, and he never rose from the deck to win. Tyson was the product of careful matchmaking. He never fought Ibeabuchi, Bowe or Holyfield in his prime. He ducked Lewis and even refused to fight Foreman. That tells you something, Tyson was unproven in his prime and his best win was against Spinks, a career light heavyweight. Tyson got beat against every elite fighter he ever fought.
Tyson's physique is a big key to his devastating uppercut. His compact, powerful frame and blistering speed created a concentrated explosion in each punch. His low center of gravity and core flexibility allowed him to snake his way into opportune positions and deliver monstrous shots from unorthodox angles. People are so awestruck by Mike's power that they often overlook his other physical gifts. That said, his physical prowess would have been nothing without his mental game. The man is a warrior in every sense of the word. There will probably never be another boxer like him. Mike was the total package.
You hit the nail on the head, man. I've watched almost every one of Iron Mike's fights, most of which including the pre-fight material where some of the most experienced, well-versed, well-studied, intelligent and fanatical commentators, fellow boxers, both active and retired, sports writers and even bookies said and believed the same thing: Mike Tyson is too small to be an effective heavyweight. They were so blinded by statistical and historical data concerning height and reach that they failed to see how completely and effectively Mike and his trainers turned what many considered to be a "disadvantage" into a very decisive advantage and not just by exploiting the expectations of his larger opponents who underestimated him, but by actually proving that there are definitive pros and cons to height on both ends of the spectrum. I noticed that it took folks of all ranks of knowledge concerning the sport a very long time to realize that Mike's short, stalky frame is a major factor in what made him and his style so effective against opponents of any size.
@@hangemhighhilton nothing better than knowing you're underestimated and shutting the mouths of all the doubters. Mike made a career out of silencing running mouths.
@@SkunkApe407 He really did! While it wasn't the whole point or strategy of team Iron Mike, this widely-believed misconception of shorter fighters being automatically disadvantaged against taller opponents was a blessing in disguise that they both knowingly and accidentally exploited to it's full potential.
@@hangemhighhilton ol' Cus D'Amato knew what he had when he found Mike. Cus could see things nobody else could. He knew he was looking at a champ the moment he met that pit bull disguised as a teenager. Everyone else wound up looking like fools for doubting the old man. Even my dad and I were guilty of saying Mike was too small to win a title. The night he won his first belt my dad looked at me and said, "Looks like we're eating crow tonight, boy." I never doubted him again after that.
The more I learn about boxing, the more I admire Tyson. His speed, power, and killer instinct by themselves would have been enough to make him an incredible fighter, but it was his training, drilling, and preparation that set him apart. You can watch his knockouts and see how they perfectly mirror everything he did in training. The footwork, head movement, combinations, sequencing etc. were all flawless transferred from training gym to the ring.
I think the fact that everyone always uses Mike Tyson as the gold standard in the "in their prime, what if" conversation should speak volumes about Mike.
'Prime' Tyson was pre-Douglas Tyson which means pre-Feb 1990 Tyson. Well, Lewis turned pro in June 89 and although he had 7 fights in that 7 month period, by the time Tyson lost in Japan, Lewis was still fightin in leisure centres; untelevised bouts for which he was probably paid about 10 thousand a go. I’d be fascinated to know where a fledgling heavy who was still 7 fights from competing for his first title of any sort got those millions to pay the world heavyweight champion (Tyson) to avoid him!!! Back in 1996, Lewis was on the comeback trail following his shock KO defeat to Oliver McCall, which cost him his WBC heavyweight title. McCall had since lost the belt to Frank Bruno who was then knocked out by Tyson. At this point, Lewis was in line for a shot at his old crown and took legal action to force his opportunity. The New Jersey Supreme Court blocked Tyson’s plan to fight WBA champion Bruce Seldon, insisting that he must first face Lewis As a result, the two camps worked out a deal which saw the Brit receive a payment of $4million to allow Tyson vs Seldon to take place. Ultimately Tyson stopped Seldon in one round, claimed the WBA belt and then vacated the WBC, which Lewis won back in his rematch with McCall. Eventually, when the pair did meet in 2002, Lewis dominated and KOd Tyson. Lennox Lewis was the one everyone wanted to avoid at all cost. He was the the guy they all ducked be it through crooked ranking bodies or promoters protecting their fighters. He is without question a top 5 Heavyweight imo.
Buster Douglas' mother suffered a stroke and died on January 18, twenty three days before the fight. "She was his centerpiece," J.D. McCauley, Douglas' trainer and uncle, said at the time. "I think, if anything, James will turn this into a positive. I really believe that." Those around Douglas sensed a new resolve when he went back into training after his mother's funeral. He was dedicated like never before. 37-0 with 33 KO's unstoppable Mike Tyson was only 23 years old on the night of the fight, February 11, 1990. Buster showed his mother 'heart' and determination in this fight!
Lewis was older. It was a Championship fight and Tyson was ready, he said, 'he was'. "Basically, I believe it's a good time for me to retire. I know there could be no better time for me to go, after beating Mike Tyson who overshadowed me for so long, without fighting real fights for ten years." -- Lennox Lewis after beating Mike Tyson Iron Mike was the world's greatest front runner. Never did he walk through fire and win. He never came from behind to win, and he never rose from the deck to win. Tyson was the product of careful matchmaking. He never fought Ibeabuchi, Bowe or Holyfield in his prime. He ducked Lewis and even refused to fight Foreman. That tells you something, Tyson was unproven in his prime and his best win was against Spinks, a career light heavyweight. Tyson got beat against every elite fighter he ever fought. "Everyone said that I should have fought Vitali again but he was just icing on my retirement cake. I took him on at short notice and despite being mentally ready, my physical preparation wasn’t ideal. I beat him at my worst so there was no need for a rematch. He definitely experienced the uppercuts." -- Lennox Lewis
@@Corina_June_CunninghamLennox Lewis had a Glass Jaw and is a Gutless Coward! Lennox Lewis Retired because he was Terrified of Vitali Klitschko and you know it!!! You’re not Fooling anyone!!! Mike Tyson in his Prime easily Knocks out China Chinned Lennox Lewis!!!
Tyson in his prime has never been seen before or since. A combination of incredible speed, skill and flat out aggression. I recognized sheer mortal danger when i saw it. Dude was terrifying.
Agreed. I watched countless of street fight videos, boxing analysis videos and many more hand to hand combat related videos on youtube. You can even count in action movies to the amount of fights fictional and non-fictional I've watched or read about. But not ever have any of these spiked any emotional response like with Mike Tyson's prime fights. That man is the only man when it comes to fighting that genuinely makes me afraid.
It's always so fascinating watching Tyson's old fights. Early on his opponents looked confident and thought they'd step in and destroy this young dude. Then as soon as the fight starts and they get hit a single time that confidence vanishes and they start to panic and realize they are in over their head. Most fighters just ran from him and held on until they got blasted out. It was rare when guys like Pinklon Thomas would actually show up and be willing to stick with their game plan despite taking hard shots. That dude seriously had heart.
Bobby Stewart found Mike. Cus housed, fathered and trained Mike. Only a troubled and dedicated kid that gets 24hour training from a father will ever repeat what Bobby and Cus achieved through Mike.
One thing I love about Mike: he doesn't have just one "magic punch." The way he moves his legs and hips/trunk, he can deliver powerful blows with either hand in any position.
He stands neither like an orthodox boxer, or a southpaw.....he's a switch hitter that can attack from either left or right.....that's the Peek a boo style of boxing....a very effective style for those that can master it....I practice it, and it's hard to do, and it's also a good workout.....especially when you're 60...
Young people who weren’t born or were too young during Tyson’s prime era, will never understand the fear that every of his opponent went through when they put a foot into the ring facing this man, never !
Soft spoken Lennox at his best was the total package and when he fought seriously he was pretty much untouchable. The last undisputed Super Heavyweight champion emerged as cream of the crop against some of the biggest punchers in Heavyweight history. Lewis avenged his only two defeats by knockout. He didn't make excuses for his only two losses, he said, "It's Heavyweights, you can get caught, but i won the rematches in style," and, "Show me a Heavyweight Champion without a loss and i'll show you a fighter that fought a lot of nobodies." Lewis haters always say, "but he got knocked out twice ha-ha." Well i say, "Tyson got knocked out (FIVE) times ha-ha. IT'S NOT HOW YOU START, IT'S HOW YOU FINISH." Been involved with boxing many years in-n-outta the ring and 57 year old Lennox Lewis is the GOAT. To hear him talk so clearly and eloquently after going up against 18 Heavyweight Champions is remarkable. The 18 HW Champions Lewis faced: Vitali Klitschko, Evander Holyfield, Mike Tyson, Shannon Briggs, Frank Bruno, Tony Tucker, Hasim Rahman, Oliver McCall, Mike Weaver, Henry Akinwande, Tommy Morrison and Ray Mercer were later recognized as WBO champions, British HW champion Gary Mason, European HW champion Jean Chanet, Commonwealth HW champion Derek Williams, Canada HW champion Razor Ruddock, IBF/WBF HW champion Michael Grant, and WBC International HW champion David Tua...*[[ technically not all were 'World' champions but champions nonetheless ]]. Other notable mentions; Olympic HW Gold medalist Tyrell Briggs, Andrew Golota, Zeljko Mavrovic, Frans Botha and Phil Jackson --(the best Heavyweight resume in boxing)
He did have a hard chin. His defense was also good in that he didn't usually get hit with several punches in a row. He was also on a massive pain killer at the time (heroin).
Holy crap the first few clips of Thomas made me want to go watch all of his fights! What a jab! I don’t know how people can say Tyson fought bums, he just made them look that way because he was so good.
Thank you brother you just nailed it I bet you if Lewis had fought pinklon Thomas back than he would lose, Tyson fought the very best, he made them look like bums
The same can be said of Jordan, Brady, Gretzky, etc......top tier professionals make their contemporaries look like rank amateurs. And, for the record, I've always felt that Thomas's jab was way better than Holmes.....not that those jabs helped much against Tyson
If boxers were only allowed to throw jabs, Carl Williams and Larry Holmes were the only men in the 1980s who might have beaten Pinky, and I wouldn't put money on either of them. Pinky also had a hard chin - if Tyson didn't throw such great combinations, Pinky would have gone the distance.
Tyson threw bulldozers at his opponents. I have never seen any fighter with that much strength. He was like four heavy weight fighters all in one. Honestly, his punches detonated right in his opponent’s face. Then, he would check you out after the fight to be sure there was no fatality because even he did not trust his punches. Great man!
@@johnd1466 y'know, you don't have to put a fighter down just because they lost. Tyson's head movement is great, but not against Holyfield, Douglas, or Lewis. Does that mean he doesn't have great head movement? Not at all, it's just that he was neutralized by a smart fighter. Just because I praise Pinkin's jab doesn't mean I don't understand that Tyson was able to neutralize it.
The interviewer described it perfectly. It's something I found astounding as well. Tyson was the only puncher whose punches you could hear wide and clear.
Respect to Pinklon Thomas for how many flush shots he took from iron Mike before going down dude was a warrior and also it was good to find out he overcame his demons.
My heart swells that Pinky got clean and survived. Given his hard childhood, addiction and falling down the boxing ranks...he persevered in life. God bless him.
Tyson was on ESPN’s First Take earlier yesterday and said that the Pinky Thomas KO was his favorite of all his knockouts because of how many punches it took to finish Pink off. That shows the amount of respect Mike had for him as a fighter and Pinky’s toughness.
Thomas had a chin of granite. He actually got up from those 14 or 15 clean Tyson shots. That was the only time in his entire career he got decked. Hard as nails. If only he had been more dedicated to the sport and not involved in drugs. His jab and movement were excellent. Great footwork. His overall boxing style was as smooth as they come. Similar to Aaron Pryor. Maybe it was the coke! Pinklon was also a great athlete. Fast hands and decent power. All that in addition to one of the strongest chins in the history of the sport. He should have been so much better.
I remember seeing this fight when I was in high school. Thomas got clipped in the first and fifth round. This to me was one of Tyson's best knockouts. I am glad to see that Thomas came ahead later in life. Glad to see that he is healthy.
The thing about it is, that Pinklon could take a beating, but even he could stand that onslaught and maybe with a different Cornerman, he would have made it to the end, cause Dundee was an idiot before that bout and that led to Pinklon being too confident.
I was impressed from the first time seeing Thomas fight, always felt he had great ring skills, with that being said, I was worried when I heard about his match up with Tyson. Congratulations to Pinklon on his career, and 30 years sober 👏🏽
A Little history for those interested. Tyson was the last fight Pinklon was in real shape. Pinklon was 29 and in the shape of his life, trained by Muhammed Ali and Sugar Ray Leonard's trainer Angelo Dundee. Pinklon was a very, very good fighter, like the video brought attention to. PInklon had one of the best jabs of all time, a thunderous quick, hard jab. Angelo Dundee said he had the best jab since Sonny Liston, which is some compliment especially when you look at Angelo's credentials and who he worked with. By many Tyson haters and casuals, because he was not the superstar name, although known by all hardcore fans, they labeled him as another bum Tyson beat, which couldn't be further from the truth, he was a world class operator. Larry Holmes was the IBF and Lineal Champion and Pinklon Thomas was the one fight, like Lennox Lewis was with Bowe, that Holmes is accused of ducking. Thomas was seen at that point of Holmes' toughest fight and Holmes showed absolutely no interest in defending against Thomas who continuously called him out. Anyway Holmes swerved Thomas and ended up losing to the great Michael Spinks and the rest is history. Thomas would go on a run and got his shot at WBC Champion 'Terrible' Tim Witherspoon, Pinklon won via a decision. He defended the title once beating Mike Weaver and then signed up to the 1980s version of the Super 6 tournament that the likes of Alexander Usyk and Andre Ward won in the last decade or so. It was named 'HBO’S HEAVYWEIGHT UNIFICATION SERIES ' which was created by HBO in conjunction with the promotors and World title organizations - the WBC, WBA & IBF to crown one Undisputed Heavyweight Champion. The fighters who entered the series was impressive - Larry 'The eastern assassin' Holmes (Former WBC, IBF World champion and Lineal) Champion. Michael 'Jinx' Spinks - Former Undisputed & Lineal Light Heavyweight Champion, and at the time, Lineal & IBF Heavyweight Champion having beaten Holmes. The rematch with Spinks & Holmes was the first fight of the HBO Unification series Tournament). Pinklon 'Pinky' Thomas 'Entering the Tournament WBC Champion' 'Iron' Mike Tyson (Title less at the time but future Undisputed 2 time Champion , Youngest Champion in history, Lineal & pound for pound number 1). Trevor Berbick (Future WBC World Champion). Tony 'TNT' Tucker (Future IBF World Champion). James 'Buster' Douglas (Future Undisputed Heavyweight Champion). James 'Bonecrusher' Smith (Future WBA World Champion) 'Terrible' Tim Witherspoon (Entering the Tournament WBA World Champion & future 2 time heavyweight Champion). Frank Bruno (European Champion 1985 & future WBC World Champion). Steffen Tangstad 'European Heavyweight Champion at the time in 1986. Alfonzo Ratliff '(Former WBC and Lineal Cruiserweight Champion). Little background on Berbick, one of Tyson's other so called weak opposition. After only 21 fights Berbick in 1981 got the chance of a title shot against Larry Holmes 3 years into his 7 year IBF title reign. He gave Larry Holmes hell for 15 tough rounds, in Larry's own words 'He gave me all I could handle'. Trevor lost but acquitted himself very well and his reputation as a solid fighter went up. Berbick became more dedicated to boxing, improved, learnt from the loss, and after a couple disputable points loses become more professional and got in much better shape. He himself entered the HBO Unification Tournament and his first fight he was drawn against Pinklon Thomas, who was the WBC Champion. Berbick beat Pinklon unexpectedly as Pinklon was rated highly by a lot of boxing experts, trainers and fighters and was heavily favored to win. Having beaten Thomas, Berbick went through to the second round and would now face the winner of the up and coming promising talent Mike Tyson and former WBC and Lineal Cruiserweight champion Alfonso Ratliff. Tyson knocked Ratliff out in round 2 to set up his first shot at a title and the chance to become the youngest Heavyweight champion in history. Tyson beats Berbick in 2 rounds. People are so judgmental and quick to dismiss, espcially the casual fans who quickly write things on social media uneducated on the past or are just repeating what they've read by other uneducated boxing fans. The 1980's heavyweights were all beating each other and it was a very competitive era,. In my opinion because of that some of the fighters have been criminally underrated, especially by casual boxing fans or haters of certain fighters that will not give any credit regardless what stats and facts you throw at them, they've made there minds up and nobody is changing it. In my honest opinion, and I've watched boxing for decades, I'm an older boxing fan, the 1980's era is the 3rd best in heavyweight history, behind the 1970s and 1990s. It was an era with Holmes, Tyson, Spinks, Witherspoon, Bruno, Tucker, Thomas, Berbick, Williams, Dokes, Biggs, Bonecrusher, Tubbs, Douglas, and later on Holyfield and Ruddock. It was pretty stacked with a hell of a lot of talent. As we know Tyson won the tournament becoming the youngest heavyweight champion in history 'still a record', the first heavyweight to unify all the belts individually, The first undisputed in a decade since Ali. Ring magazine lineal Champion and went on to become pound for pound number 1 1988-1990. He is the last heavyweight Champion that was pound for pound number one, some 36 years later we still haven't had one. Michael Spinks got stripped of the IBF title he won from Larry Holmes after dropping out of the tournament, he was due to fight Tony Tucker in the tournament so Buster Douglas Vs Tony Tucker was was made for the vacant IBF title. Tony Tucker stopped Buster Douglas to become the new IBF Champion. As we know years later in 1990 Douglas beat Tyson in the biggest shock in boxing history. Many boxing experts believed Tucker would be a world champion and potentially a great great fighter. He was 6.5'', Granite chin, Skills, Good power and stamina, he was a problem for anyone. Tucker would face Tyson the the final of the tournament after Tyson took the WBA strap from Bonecrusher Smith via a points decision in the other semi final. The Final - Tyson got rocked for the first time in his career in the first round by Tucker with an uppercut but shook it off quickly and returned fire. Tyson adjusted over the rounds and won a unanimous 12 round decision in a good completive fight, i think one of Tyson's best wins against a prime Tucker. Tyson was now undisputed WBC, WBA & IBF Champion. All he needed was the lineal title held by Michael Spinks to complete his mission. He did so in 1988. Tony Tucker was 29 years old, 34-0 with 29 Knockouts going into the Tyson fight. After the Tyson fight Tucker went undefeated another 14 fights which earned him a shot at Lennox Lewis 6 years later for the WBC title in 1993. Tucker was now 35 and considered by some to be past his best. He went into the Lennox Lewis fight with an incredible record of 48-1, with 39 knockouts, His only loss to a peak Tyson via Decision. Lewis V Tucker - Tucker surprised Lewis and hurt Lennox a couple times in the fight where like the Tyson fight Tucker showed his skills, toughness and ability. He lost a tough competitive fight via a 12 round points decision. I don't believe anyone else but Tony 'TNT' Tucker can say they took both a peak Tyson and Lennox the distance, that's how good he was, people shouldn't forget that. Hope you all enjoyed. P.s. A video on the 1980s HBO Heavyweight Unification Series would be fantastic.
Great comment. Totally agree. Thomas (prime, almost unbeaten), Berbick (prime, almost unbeaten), Tucker (prime, unbeaten), Spinks (unbeaten ATG LHW), Holmes (almost unbeaten ATG HW) - and just to add in Ruddock (prime, almost unbeaten) and Biggs (prime, unbeaten). All strong, fast, skillful guys lauded at the time by pundits who would have graced any era. Lost to Tyson and they suddenly become tomato cans.
Very well said. You have so many channels here on youtube that are so clearly in over their heads it's dumbfounding. And, just to REALLY tick off the casuals, I would take the top fighters that you listed against ANY and ALL of what is fighting now. Just no comparison.
People watching this who don’t follow the sport heavily might not realize how legit Pinklon Thomas was. He had everything you would want in a heavyweight fighter and would be considered one of the greats in many other eras. Just high class.
I read a book called Fire and Fear, which really went in-depth on Tyson's fights. After this fight, Mike was apparently complaining about headaches and nausea due to the jabs he took from Pinklon. I don't doubt that this is true, but man, I have to wonder what Pinklon was feeling after those shots he took lol
At first watch I didn't even realise that was slo mo! Fuckning hell! Too young to see Prime Tyson, 14 years old when he went against Lewis, youtube is teaching me why that fight was built the way it was!
Watching Pinklon fight Tyson gave me a lot of respect for him. He was a really good fighter and he gave Tyson a really good fight. I hadn't known about his back story but now I have even more respect for him! It's to bad it's not been more publicized. He should be a role model for what can be accomplished.
BLTV promotes boxing better than Golden Boy, Matchroom, and Top Rank combined yet is constrained by copyright claims. Really appreciate you making these under appreciated videos m8
People forget that before & during Mike's reign as Champ he fought EVERYONE & that the calibre & number of opponents was HUGE. It was good to see how Mike praised Pinklon in the ring afterwards, class.
I met Pink when I lived in Michigan at the Bloomfield Hills Best Buy. I worked in the mobile department and activated his new phone. I talked to the man for about 45 minutes about all sorts of things. This man was kind, humble, and had great energy about him. Very cool guy! Also his hands were fucking gigantic! When I looked at his knuckles I almost shit myself. Lol
What impresses me is how many clean shots Pinklon managed to eat without going down. The reality is that most fighters would have been done much much earlier. You could tell Tyson felt the same way and when Pinklon hit him with that jab he earned Tyson's respect. A classic and classy fight from the two. 👌
Ya a "prime" Thomas would have been a huge problem for Mike but being a drug addict at the time and not dedicated to the sport he could have been something special...
I haven't watched this fight for thirty-odd years, but the way I remember it is Pinky was doing really well up until the sixth, when he seemed to slow down, and was brutally finished. He really was an outstanding boxer and really underrated.
I wonder how much the opiates factored into Pinklon's endurance. What a story, and to see Iron Mike display the respect that Pinklon clearly deserved was so gratifying. Incredible story, and thanks for making/posting the vid.
6:03 no way!? angelo dundee said that? i know he was in thomas's corner but i didnt know he said pinky thomas would knockout mike, i will always respect mr. dundee because he was Ali's trainer but that was a wild statement for sure.
A. Angelo was cornering PT B. At this point Tyson hadn’t faced a seasoned pro HW C. Today we have the advantage of witnessing Tysons career HL’s. Angelo said this in what ? 1985?
Glad Pinklon overcame has addiction. That's a bigger win than any I think, against a very tough opponent. BLTV, man your videos just get more and more polished over time. I love the context and history you do before the actual fight coverage; the context adds so much gravitas to the actual fight and it's epilogue. Thanks a ton man, you're doing great work.
![จีเหลี่ยมโคตรตึง!! - Skibidi Toilet 73 (part 2) [FANMADE]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/MBvD7tKeyPY/mqdefault.jpg)
Pinklon Thomas: The only boxer who speaks more clearly at age 64 than he did at age 29.
The cure for punch drunk fighters
Heroine!
I think Mike has gotten better too
@@MrJohnnyLighting nah mike was very well spoken when he was younger
No
Chris Eubank senior
I really thought Pinklon's story was gonna end differently. I'm so glad to hear he was able to overcome his addiction. What a great story and he has so much to be proud of.
For real thi
Soft spoken Lennox at his best was the total package and when he fought seriously he was pretty much untouchable. The last undisputed Super Heavyweight champion emerged as cream of the crop against some of the biggest punchers in Heavyweight history.
Lewis avenged his only two defeats by knockout. He didn't make excuses for his only two losses, he said, "It's Heavyweights, you can get caught, but i won the rematches in style," and, "Show me a Heavyweight Champion without a loss and i'll show you a fighter that fought a lot of nobodies."
Lewis haters always say, "but he got knocked out twice ha-ha." Well i say, "Tyson got knocked out (FIVE) times ha-ha. IT'S NOT HOW YOU START, IT'S HOW YOU FINISH."
Been involved with boxing many years in-n-outta the ring and 57 year old Lennox Lewis is the GOAT. To hear him talk so clearly and eloquently after going up against 18 Heavyweight Champions is remarkable.
The 18 HW Champions Lewis faced: Vitali Klitschko, Evander Holyfield, Mike Tyson, Shannon Briggs, Frank Bruno, Tony Tucker, Hasim Rahman, Oliver McCall, Mike Weaver, Henry Akinwande, Tommy Morrison and Ray Mercer were later recognized as WBO champions, British HW champion Gary Mason, European HW champion Jean Chanet, Commonwealth HW champion Derek Williams, Canada HW champion Razor Ruddock, IBF/WBF HW champion Michael Grant, and WBC International HW champion David Tua...*[[ technically not all were 'World' champions but champions nonetheless ]]. Other notable mentions; Olympic HW Gold medalist Tyrell Briggs, Andrew Golota, Zeljko Mavrovic, Frans Botha and Phil Jackson --(the best Heavyweight resume in boxing)
@@Stout_Krout_Columbia_MD You must be Lennox Lewis. Thanks for the spam comment, d!ckhead
'Prime' Tyson was pre-Douglas Tyson which means pre-Feb 1990 Tyson. Well, Lewis turned pro in June 89 and although he had 7 fights in that 7 month period, by the time Tyson lost in Japan, Lewis was still fightin in leisure centres; untelevised bouts for which he was probably paid about 10 thousand a go. I’d be fascinated to know where a fledgling heavy who was still 7 fights from competing for his first title of any sort got those millions to pay the world heavyweight champion (Tyson) to avoid him!!!
Back in 1996, Lewis was on the comeback trail following his shock KO defeat to Oliver McCall, which cost him his WBC heavyweight title.
McCall had since lost the belt to Frank Bruno who was then knocked out by Tyson.
At this point, Lewis was in line for a shot at his old crown and took legal action to force his opportunity.
The New Jersey Supreme Court blocked Tyson’s plan to fight WBA champion Bruce Seldon, insisting that he must first face Lewis
As a result, the two camps worked out a deal which saw the Brit receive a payment of $4million to allow Tyson vs Seldon to take place.
Ultimately Tyson stopped Seldon in one round, claimed the WBA belt and then vacated the WBC, which Lewis won back in his rematch with McCall.
Eventually, when the pair did meet in 2002, Lewis dominated and KOd Tyson.
Lennox Lewis was the one everyone wanted to avoid at all cost. He was the the guy they all ducked be it through crooked ranking bodies or promoters protecting their fighters. He is without question a top 5 Heavyweight imo.
Lewis was older. It was a Championship fight and Tyson was ready, he said, 'he was'. "Basically, I believe it's a good time for me to retire. I know there could be no better time for me to go, after beating Mike Tyson who overshadowed me for so long, without fighting real fights for ten years." -- Lennox Lewis after beating Mike Tyson
Iron Mike was the world's greatest front runner. Never did he walk through fire and win. He never came from behind to win, and he never rose from the deck to win. Tyson was the product of careful matchmaking. He never fought Ibeabuchi, Bowe or Holyfield in his prime. He ducked Lewis and even refused to fight Foreman. That tells you something, Tyson was unproven in his prime and his best win was against Spinks, a career light heavyweight. Tyson got beat against every elite fighter he ever fought.
Tyson's physique is a big key to his devastating uppercut. His compact, powerful frame and blistering speed created a concentrated explosion in each punch. His low center of gravity and core flexibility allowed him to snake his way into opportune positions and deliver monstrous shots from unorthodox angles. People are so awestruck by Mike's power that they often overlook his other physical gifts. That said, his physical prowess would have been nothing without his mental game. The man is a warrior in every sense of the word. There will probably never be another boxer like him. Mike was the total package.
You hit the nail on the head, man. I've watched almost every one of Iron Mike's fights, most of which including the pre-fight material where some of the most experienced, well-versed, well-studied, intelligent and fanatical commentators, fellow boxers, both active and retired, sports writers and even bookies said and believed the same thing: Mike Tyson is too small to be an effective heavyweight. They were so blinded by statistical and historical data concerning height and reach that they failed to see how completely and effectively Mike and his trainers turned what many considered to be a "disadvantage" into a very decisive advantage and not just by exploiting the expectations of his larger opponents who underestimated him, but by actually proving that there are definitive pros and cons to height on both ends of the spectrum. I noticed that it took folks of all ranks of knowledge concerning the sport a very long time to realize that Mike's short, stalky frame is a major factor in what made him and his style so effective against opponents of any size.
@@hangemhighhilton nothing better than knowing you're underestimated and shutting the mouths of all the doubters. Mike made a career out of silencing running mouths.
@@SkunkApe407 He really did! While it wasn't the whole point or strategy of team Iron Mike, this widely-believed misconception of shorter fighters being automatically disadvantaged against taller opponents was a blessing in disguise that they both knowingly and accidentally exploited to it's full potential.
@@hangemhighhilton ol' Cus D'Amato knew what he had when he found Mike. Cus could see things nobody else could. He knew he was looking at a champ the moment he met that pit bull disguised as a teenager. Everyone else wound up looking like fools for doubting the old man. Even my dad and I were guilty of saying Mike was too small to win a title. The night he won his first belt my dad looked at me and said, "Looks like we're eating crow tonight, boy." I never doubted him again after that.
Tyson out jabbed most of his much taller opponents.
Great fighter when he was training and right.
The more I learn about boxing, the more I admire Tyson. His speed, power, and killer instinct by themselves would have been enough to make him an incredible fighter, but it was his training, drilling, and preparation that set him apart. You can watch his knockouts and see how they perfectly mirror everything he did in training. The footwork, head movement, combinations, sequencing etc. were all flawless transferred from training gym to the ring.
I think the fact that everyone always uses Mike Tyson as the gold standard in the "in their prime, what if" conversation should speak volumes about Mike.
'Prime' Tyson was pre-Douglas Tyson which means pre-Feb 1990 Tyson. Well, Lewis turned pro in June 89 and although he had 7 fights in that 7 month period, by the time Tyson lost in Japan, Lewis was still fightin in leisure centres; untelevised bouts for which he was probably paid about 10 thousand a go. I’d be fascinated to know where a fledgling heavy who was still 7 fights from competing for his first title of any sort got those millions to pay the world heavyweight champion (Tyson) to avoid him!!!
Back in 1996, Lewis was on the comeback trail following his shock KO defeat to Oliver McCall, which cost him his WBC heavyweight title.
McCall had since lost the belt to Frank Bruno who was then knocked out by Tyson.
At this point, Lewis was in line for a shot at his old crown and took legal action to force his opportunity.
The New Jersey Supreme Court blocked Tyson’s plan to fight WBA champion Bruce Seldon, insisting that he must first face Lewis
As a result, the two camps worked out a deal which saw the Brit receive a payment of $4million to allow Tyson vs Seldon to take place.
Ultimately Tyson stopped Seldon in one round, claimed the WBA belt and then vacated the WBC, which Lewis won back in his rematch with McCall.
Eventually, when the pair did meet in 2002, Lewis dominated and KOd Tyson.
Lennox Lewis was the one everyone wanted to avoid at all cost. He was the the guy they all ducked be it through crooked ranking bodies or promoters protecting their fighters. He is without question a top 5 Heavyweight imo.
Buster Douglas' mother suffered a stroke and died on January 18, twenty three days before the fight. "She was his centerpiece," J.D. McCauley, Douglas' trainer and uncle, said at the time. "I think, if anything, James will turn this into a positive. I really believe that." Those around Douglas sensed a new resolve when he went back into training after his mother's funeral. He was dedicated like never before.
37-0 with 33 KO's unstoppable Mike Tyson was only 23 years old on the night of the fight, February 11, 1990.
Buster showed his mother 'heart' and determination in this fight!
Lewis was older. It was a Championship fight and Tyson was ready, he said, 'he was'. "Basically, I believe it's a good time for me to retire. I know there could be no better time for me to go, after beating Mike Tyson who overshadowed me for so long, without fighting real fights for ten years." -- Lennox Lewis after beating Mike Tyson
Iron Mike was the world's greatest front runner. Never did he walk through fire and win. He never came from behind to win, and he never rose from the deck to win. Tyson was the product of careful matchmaking. He never fought Ibeabuchi, Bowe or Holyfield in his prime. He ducked Lewis and even refused to fight Foreman. That tells you something, Tyson was unproven in his prime and his best win was against Spinks, a career light heavyweight. Tyson got beat against every elite fighter he ever fought.
"Everyone said that I should have fought Vitali again but he was just icing on my retirement cake. I took him on at short notice and despite being mentally ready, my physical preparation wasn’t ideal. I beat him at my worst so there was no need for a rematch. He definitely experienced the uppercuts." -- Lennox Lewis
@@Corina_June_CunninghamLennox Lewis had a Glass Jaw and is a Gutless Coward! Lennox Lewis Retired because he was Terrified of Vitali Klitschko and you know it!!! You’re not Fooling anyone!!! Mike Tyson in his Prime easily Knocks out China Chinned Lennox Lewis!!!
Nah, it's just means his resume is weak and you need to go with hypotethical prime debates.
Tyson in his prime has never been seen before or since. A combination of incredible speed, skill and flat out aggression. I recognized sheer mortal danger when i saw it. Dude was terrifying.
Agreed. I watched countless of street fight videos, boxing analysis videos and many more hand to hand combat related videos on youtube. You can even count in action movies to the amount of fights fictional and non-fictional I've watched or read about. But not ever have any of these spiked any emotional response like with Mike Tyson's prime fights. That man is the only man when it comes to fighting that genuinely makes me afraid.
It's always so fascinating watching Tyson's old fights. Early on his opponents looked confident and thought they'd step in and destroy this young dude. Then as soon as the fight starts and they get hit a single time that confidence vanishes and they start to panic and realize they are in over their head. Most fighters just ran from him and held on until they got blasted out. It was rare when guys like Pinklon Thomas would actually show up and be willing to stick with their game plan despite taking hard shots. That dude seriously had heart.
Bobby Stewart found Mike. Cus housed, fathered and trained Mike.
Only a troubled and dedicated kid that gets 24hour training from a father will ever repeat what Bobby and Cus achieved through Mike.
Overrated He lost to every legtimate contender.
@@AttilaGenghisHuyter cmon bro stop it say what you want at the end of the day his impact in boxing will never be matched or seen agian
One thing I love about Mike: he doesn't have just one "magic punch." The way he moves his legs and hips/trunk, he can deliver powerful blows with either hand in any position.
When he was discipline and didn't chase Robin givens
He stands neither like an orthodox boxer, or a southpaw.....he's a switch hitter that can attack from either left or right.....that's the Peek a boo style of boxing....a very effective style for those that can master it....I practice it, and it's hard to do, and it's also a good workout.....especially when you're 60...
Young people who weren’t born or were too young during Tyson’s prime era, will never understand the fear that every of his opponent went through when they put a foot into the ring facing this man, never !
It really was a once in a lifetime era! Love my man Tyson!
Facts man Big facts.. I be trying to tell my son just skilled and dangerous Mike was in him prime.. these youngsters just don't know
We can see it in their faces. Even the toughest guys look scared after they feel Tyson's first punch.
Ngannou was on his way there until the contract problems. Tyson might stand at the top for a long time.
Same goes for George Foreman, who had even more wins and KOs before his loss to Ali. 40-0/37KOs
I’ve never seen anyone take so many devastating headshots before finally falling down.
Tough as hell.
Dude had heart, wonder what he would have been if he wasn’t doing heroin the whole time
Soft spoken Lennox at his best was the total package and when he fought seriously he was pretty much untouchable. The last undisputed Super Heavyweight champion emerged as cream of the crop against some of the biggest punchers in Heavyweight history.
Lewis avenged his only two defeats by knockout. He didn't make excuses for his only two losses, he said, "It's Heavyweights, you can get caught, but i won the rematches in style," and, "Show me a Heavyweight Champion without a loss and i'll show you a fighter that fought a lot of nobodies."
Lewis haters always say, "but he got knocked out twice ha-ha." Well i say, "Tyson got knocked out (FIVE) times ha-ha. IT'S NOT HOW YOU START, IT'S HOW YOU FINISH."
Been involved with boxing many years in-n-outta the ring and 57 year old Lennox Lewis is the GOAT. To hear him talk so clearly and eloquently after going up against 18 Heavyweight Champions is remarkable.
The 18 HW Champions Lewis faced: Vitali Klitschko, Evander Holyfield, Mike Tyson, Shannon Briggs, Frank Bruno, Tony Tucker, Hasim Rahman, Oliver McCall, Mike Weaver, Henry Akinwande, Tommy Morrison and Ray Mercer were later recognized as WBO champions, British HW champion Gary Mason, European HW champion Jean Chanet, Commonwealth HW champion Derek Williams, Canada HW champion Razor Ruddock, IBF/WBF HW champion Michael Grant, and WBC International HW champion David Tua...*[[ technically not all were 'World' champions but champions nonetheless ]]. Other notable mentions; Olympic HW Gold medalist Tyrell Briggs, Andrew Golota, Zeljko Mavrovic, Frans Botha and Phil Jackson --(the best Heavyweight resume in boxing)
He did have a hard chin. His defense was also good in that he didn't usually get hit with several punches in a row. He was also on a massive pain killer at the time (heroin).
Watch Tyson vs Ribalta fight. Tyson nailed him with so many clean blows and the dude just kept getting back up. Amazing .
@@princeali1786 I’ll wait til this channel covers it eventually. Ha.
Holy crap the first few clips of Thomas made me want to go watch all of his fights! What a jab! I don’t know how people can say Tyson fought bums, he just made them look that way because he was so good.
Thank you brother you just nailed it I bet you if Lewis had fought pinklon Thomas back than he would lose, Tyson fought the very best, he made them look like bums
The same can be said of Jordan, Brady, Gretzky, etc......top tier professionals make their contemporaries look like rank amateurs. And, for the record, I've always felt that Thomas's jab was way better than Holmes.....not that those jabs helped much against Tyson
There’s a good video of Dundees training secrets to that shows pinklon working that jab a bit
If boxers were only allowed to throw jabs, Carl Williams and Larry Holmes were the only men in the 1980s who might have beaten Pinky, and I wouldn't put money on either of them. Pinky also had a hard chin - if Tyson didn't throw such great combinations, Pinky would have gone the distance.
@@Myndir gotta agree with you on that...... Pinky ate a whole plate of Tyson bombs before he hit the deck
Tyson threw bulldozers at his opponents. I have never seen any fighter with that much strength. He was like four heavy weight fighters all in one. Honestly, his punches detonated right in his opponent’s face. Then, he would check you out after the fight to be sure there was no fatality because even he did not trust his punches. Great man!
Great man? Lol he’d almost kill people.
At least, if you were a humble guy that fought bravely and fair
I have never seen anything to compare to Mike Tyson. Never. Talent strength and aggression. WOW !!👍👍
Exactly!! He's a once in a lifetime phenomenon.
Jesus, those 4-5 jabs in a row by Pinklin were crisp lol
Not against Mike!!!
@@johnd1466 y'know, you don't have to put a fighter down just because they lost. Tyson's head movement is great, but not against Holyfield, Douglas, or Lewis. Does that mean he doesn't have great head movement? Not at all, it's just that he was neutralized by a smart fighter.
Just because I praise Pinkin's jab doesn't mean I don't understand that Tyson was able to neutralize it.
No doubt! Those jabs were so powerful that I wonder if he used his dominant hand forward
@@rainbowdash9388 that's was not the tyson prime when he fought them
@@ironmar that’s not my point. i’m not disparaging Tyson for his losses, i’m pointing out that even though fighters lose, you can still praise them
I've seen every Tyson fight, and i always forget just how brutal that knock out was. So many hits to the head. Glad Pinky is doing well!
Me too. Never beat a decent man.
Naw man, watch the ribalta fight 🤕 he had to be one of the toughest mn on the planet
You.never saw the Larry Simms fight..I bet you that
Pinky (diesel) Thomas
Wow..jack hammer Jab
The interviewer described it perfectly. It's something I found astounding as well. Tyson was the only puncher whose punches you could hear wide and clear.
What a maturity in Mike to approach the opponent after the match, have seen him do that in many matches.. adds more respect to his skills!
Respect to Pinklon Thomas for how many flush shots he took from iron Mike before going down dude was a warrior and also it was good to find out he overcame his demons.
Pinklon had a tremendous jab and was a great technician, and he had a helluva chin.
Was it the chin or the heroine that kept him upright.
The dude was high on heroin during that fight and you're giving him respect?
Yeahh probably the heroin
I love the sound his gloves make. Love you Mike
Real good to see Thomas recovered. Live long and prosper
My heart swells that Pinky got clean and survived. Given his hard childhood, addiction and falling down the boxing ranks...he persevered in life. God bless him.
A TRUE CHAMPION.
Really glad to see this series continued. Loving these mini-documentaries about the fights.
Mike was a machine in his prime. The guy was fast and powerful. Probably one if not the hardest hitting guy ever.
Tyson was on ESPN’s First Take earlier yesterday and said that the Pinky Thomas KO was his favorite of all his knockouts because of how many punches it took to finish Pink off. That shows the amount of respect Mike had for him as a fighter and Pinky’s toughness.
Toughness? He was on opiates
Tyson’s combination on Thomas is one of the greatest in any weight class period, let alone at Heavyweight.
Words cannot explain how happy I was when I saw a new video from you guys, great quality as always!
All I can say is...Iron Mike Tyson...
Thanks for the memories Champ!! 👍🏻😉🏆❤ 🥊🥊👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏
To this day, I still feel this is Tyson's best knockout sequence. A truely brutal KO.
100% agree
Marvis Fraizer, but close
@@OU888 whatever
Who knew people punching eachother could be so heartwarming
Thomas had a chin of granite. He actually got up from those 14 or 15 clean Tyson shots.
That was the only time in his entire career he got decked.
Hard as nails. If only he had been more dedicated to the sport and not involved in drugs.
His jab and movement were excellent. Great footwork. His overall boxing style was as smooth as they come. Similar to Aaron Pryor. Maybe it was the coke!
Pinklon was also a great athlete. Fast hands and decent power.
All that in addition to one of the strongest chins in the history of the sport.
He should have been so much better.
So did you just not watch the video or something? He used heroin, not coke.
He could definitely take a punch from Mike Tyson
I came here because Mike said in an interview that Pinklon was his hardest fight
I remember seeing this fight when I was in high school. Thomas got clipped in the first and fifth round. This to me was one of Tyson's best knockouts. I am glad to see that Thomas came ahead later in life. Glad to see that he is healthy.
The thing about it is, that Pinklon could take a beating, but even he could stand that onslaught and maybe with a different Cornerman, he would have made it to the end, cause Dundee was an idiot before that bout and that led to Pinklon being too confident.
I was impressed from the first time seeing Thomas fight, always felt he had great ring skills, with that being said, I was worried when I heard about his match up with Tyson.
Congratulations to Pinklon on his career, and 30 years sober 👏🏽
Tyson, the most ferocious and most powerful there has ever been or ever will be.
In his time I was a bit younger but I heard what I will not hear about Tyson , even now I prefer watching his fight even repeating I don't mind
A Little history for those interested.
Tyson was the last fight Pinklon was in real shape. Pinklon was 29 and in the shape of his life, trained by Muhammed Ali and Sugar Ray Leonard's trainer Angelo Dundee. Pinklon was a very, very good fighter, like the video brought attention to. PInklon had one of the best jabs of all time, a thunderous quick, hard jab. Angelo Dundee said he had the best jab since Sonny Liston, which is some compliment especially when you look at Angelo's credentials and who he worked with. By many Tyson haters and casuals, because he was not the superstar name, although known by all hardcore fans, they labeled him as another bum Tyson beat, which couldn't be further from the truth, he was a world class operator.
Larry Holmes was the IBF and Lineal Champion and Pinklon Thomas was the one fight, like Lennox Lewis was with Bowe, that Holmes is accused of ducking. Thomas was seen at that point of Holmes' toughest fight and Holmes showed absolutely no interest in defending against Thomas who continuously called him out. Anyway Holmes swerved Thomas and ended up losing to the great Michael Spinks and the rest is history. Thomas would go on a run and got his shot at WBC Champion 'Terrible' Tim Witherspoon, Pinklon won via a decision. He defended the title once beating Mike Weaver and then signed up to the 1980s version of the Super 6 tournament that the likes of Alexander Usyk and Andre Ward won in the last decade or so. It was named 'HBO’S HEAVYWEIGHT UNIFICATION SERIES ' which was created by HBO in conjunction with the promotors and World title organizations - the WBC, WBA & IBF to crown one Undisputed Heavyweight Champion.
The fighters who entered the series was impressive -
Larry 'The eastern assassin' Holmes (Former WBC, IBF World champion and Lineal) Champion.
Michael 'Jinx' Spinks - Former Undisputed & Lineal Light Heavyweight Champion, and at the time, Lineal & IBF Heavyweight Champion having beaten Holmes. The rematch with Spinks & Holmes was the first fight of the HBO Unification series Tournament).
Pinklon 'Pinky' Thomas 'Entering the Tournament WBC Champion'
'Iron' Mike Tyson (Title less at the time but future Undisputed 2 time Champion , Youngest Champion in history, Lineal & pound for pound number 1).
Trevor Berbick (Future WBC World Champion).
Tony 'TNT' Tucker (Future IBF World Champion).
James 'Buster' Douglas (Future Undisputed Heavyweight Champion).
James 'Bonecrusher' Smith (Future WBA World Champion)
'Terrible' Tim Witherspoon (Entering the Tournament WBA World Champion & future 2 time heavyweight Champion).
Frank Bruno (European Champion 1985 & future WBC World Champion).
Steffen Tangstad 'European Heavyweight Champion at the time in 1986.
Alfonzo Ratliff '(Former WBC and Lineal Cruiserweight Champion).
Little background on Berbick, one of Tyson's other so called weak opposition.
After only 21 fights Berbick in 1981 got the chance of a title shot against Larry Holmes 3 years into his 7 year IBF title reign. He gave Larry Holmes hell for 15 tough rounds, in Larry's own words 'He gave me all I could handle'. Trevor lost but acquitted himself very well and his reputation as a solid fighter went up. Berbick became more dedicated to boxing, improved, learnt from the loss, and after a couple disputable points loses become more professional and got in much better shape. He himself entered the HBO Unification Tournament and his first fight he was drawn against Pinklon Thomas, who was the WBC Champion. Berbick beat Pinklon unexpectedly as Pinklon was rated highly by a lot of boxing experts, trainers and fighters and was heavily favored to win.
Having beaten Thomas, Berbick went through to the second round and would now face the winner of the up and coming promising talent Mike Tyson and former WBC and Lineal Cruiserweight champion Alfonso Ratliff. Tyson knocked Ratliff out in round 2 to set up his first shot at a title and the chance to become the youngest Heavyweight champion in history. Tyson beats Berbick in 2 rounds.
People are so judgmental and quick to dismiss, espcially the casual fans who quickly write things on social media uneducated on the past or are just repeating what they've read by other uneducated boxing fans.
The 1980's heavyweights were all beating each other and it was a very competitive era,. In my opinion because of that some of the fighters have been criminally underrated, especially by casual boxing fans or haters of certain fighters that will not give any credit regardless what stats and facts you throw at them, they've made there minds up and nobody is changing it. In my honest opinion, and I've watched boxing for decades, I'm an older boxing fan, the 1980's era is the 3rd best in heavyweight history, behind the 1970s and 1990s. It was an era with Holmes, Tyson, Spinks, Witherspoon, Bruno, Tucker, Thomas, Berbick, Williams, Dokes, Biggs, Bonecrusher, Tubbs, Douglas, and later on Holyfield and Ruddock. It was pretty stacked with a hell of a lot of talent.
As we know Tyson won the tournament becoming the youngest heavyweight champion in history 'still a record', the first heavyweight to unify all the belts individually, The first undisputed in a decade since Ali. Ring magazine lineal Champion and went on to become pound for pound number 1 1988-1990. He is the last heavyweight Champion that was pound for pound number one, some 36 years later we still haven't had one.
Michael Spinks got stripped of the IBF title he won from Larry Holmes after dropping out of the tournament, he was due to fight Tony Tucker in the tournament so Buster Douglas Vs Tony Tucker was was made for the vacant IBF title. Tony Tucker stopped Buster Douglas to become the new IBF Champion. As we know years later in 1990 Douglas beat Tyson in the biggest shock in boxing history. Many boxing experts believed Tucker would be a world champion and potentially a great great fighter. He was 6.5'', Granite chin, Skills, Good power and stamina, he was a problem for anyone.
Tucker would face Tyson the the final of the tournament after Tyson took the WBA strap from Bonecrusher Smith via a points decision in the other semi final.
The Final - Tyson got rocked for the first time in his career in the first round by Tucker with an uppercut but shook it off quickly and returned fire. Tyson adjusted over the rounds and won a unanimous 12 round decision in a good completive fight, i think one of Tyson's best wins against a prime Tucker. Tyson was now undisputed WBC, WBA & IBF Champion. All he needed was the lineal title held by Michael Spinks to complete his mission. He did so in 1988.
Tony Tucker was 29 years old, 34-0 with 29 Knockouts going into the Tyson fight. After the Tyson fight Tucker went undefeated another 14 fights which earned him a shot at Lennox Lewis 6 years later for the WBC title in 1993. Tucker was now 35 and considered by some to be past his best. He went into the Lennox Lewis fight with an incredible record of 48-1, with 39 knockouts, His only loss to a peak Tyson via Decision.
Lewis V Tucker - Tucker surprised Lewis and hurt Lennox a couple times in the fight where like the Tyson fight Tucker showed his skills, toughness and ability. He lost a tough competitive fight via a 12 round points decision. I don't believe anyone else but Tony 'TNT' Tucker can say they took both a peak Tyson and Lennox the distance, that's how good he was, people shouldn't forget that.
Hope you all enjoyed.
P.s. A video on the 1980s HBO Heavyweight Unification Series would be fantastic.
was great thanks your knowledge is incredible
Excellent information so well pesented, thank you!
Awesome history!! Some I really did not know.
Great comment. Totally agree. Thomas (prime, almost unbeaten), Berbick (prime, almost unbeaten), Tucker (prime, unbeaten), Spinks (unbeaten ATG LHW), Holmes (almost unbeaten ATG HW) - and just to add in Ruddock (prime, almost unbeaten) and Biggs (prime, unbeaten). All strong, fast, skillful guys lauded at the time by pundits who would have graced any era. Lost to Tyson and they suddenly become tomato cans.
Very well said. You have so many channels here on youtube that are so clearly in over their heads it's dumbfounding. And, just to REALLY tick off the casuals, I would take the top fighters that you listed against ANY and ALL of what is fighting now. Just no comparison.
People watching this who don’t follow the sport heavily might not realize how legit Pinklon Thomas was. He had everything you would want in a heavyweight fighter and would be considered one of the greats in many other eras. Just high class.
I read a book called Fire and Fear, which really went in-depth on Tyson's fights. After this fight, Mike was apparently complaining about headaches and nausea due to the jabs he took from Pinklon.
I don't doubt that this is true, but man, I have to wonder what Pinklon was feeling after those shots he took lol
Probably never felt them. He was a Heroin addict
Pinklon felt the holy spirit
Really?
Finally, another Tyson recap vid! Hyped to watch this
8:58 Even in slow motion he punches so fast
Seriously! Punch Out got it right with those lightning flashes when he would punch. It took me years to beat Tyson in that game! 😅
At first watch I didn't even realise that was slo mo! Fuckning hell! Too young to see Prime Tyson, 14 years old when he went against Lewis, youtube is teaching me why that fight was built the way it was!
Lol
There will never another Mike Tyson Tyson is a humble guy and sometimes I wonder if he actually knows how great he was.
He is a changed man these days and has nothing left to prove. Good for him, as he was a treasure to watch in my youth.
Watching Pinklon fight Tyson gave me a lot of respect for him. He was a really good fighter and he gave Tyson a really good fight. I hadn't known about his back story but now I have even more respect for him! It's to bad it's not been more publicized. He should be a role model for what can be accomplished.
The quality of these videos is insane
Out of all the Tyson commentary videos I'll give BLTV #1 🥊
BLTV promotes boxing better than Golden Boy, Matchroom, and Top Rank combined yet is constrained by copyright claims. Really appreciate you making these under appreciated videos m8
People forget that before & during Mike's reign as Champ he fought EVERYONE & that the calibre & number of opponents was HUGE. It was good to see how Mike praised Pinklon in the ring afterwards, class.
Who of name did Tyson beat?
MY GOD!! Much respect to Pinklin!!🥊🥊.. Taking those shots flush from Mike like that is unfathomable..
YES! I need your videos in my life! Thank you so much for uploading!
Absolutely superlative production quality as always.
I met Pink when I lived in Michigan at the Bloomfield Hills Best Buy. I worked in the mobile department and activated his new phone. I talked to the man for about 45 minutes about all sorts of things.
This man was kind, humble, and had great energy about him. Very cool guy!
Also his hands were fucking gigantic! When I looked at his knuckles I almost shit myself. Lol
larry holmes was not just another random heavyweight champion in the array from the era between ali and tyson. he is an all time great.
What impresses me is how many clean shots Pinklon managed to eat without going down. The reality is that most fighters would have been done much much earlier.
You could tell Tyson felt the same way and when Pinklon hit him with that jab he earned Tyson's respect. A classic and classy fight from the two. 👌
Ya a "prime" Thomas would have been a huge problem for Mike but being a drug addict at the time and not dedicated to the sport he could have been something special...
I would’ve loved to have seen prime Tyson vs prime Holmes
Only about 6 or 7 years apart. Probably 1981-2 vs 1987-89
Glad to see this channel uploading🔥🔥
What a crazy yet absolutely inspiring story. Thank you for this one!
thank you for doing this @bLTV Classics! much needed!
Tyson hit dude so hard he started questioning his life decisions 😂
Thomas had arguably the most clean and accurate jab in heavyweight boxing.
That jab probably destroyed countless trash talking dummies at the bar
it's sad cause the average boxing fan doesn't know Thomas
He's definitely up there but Larry Holmes takes the number one spot.
@@joskevermeulen3271 Yup, nothing beats Holmes' jab. Only Ali maybe.
Seems like his best jab was in his arm with the Golden Brown
My guilty pleasure is boxing and the fantastic Mike Tyson. Thank you Mike for all of your awesomeness.😊
My upmost respect for Thomas for beating his addiction. A true champion
I love to see the respect and honor Tyson had for pinky at the end
the legend is back
I haven't watched this fight for thirty-odd years, but the way I remember it is Pinky was doing really well up until the sixth, when he seemed to slow down, and was brutally finished. He really was an outstanding boxer and really underrated.
i love this channel so much. thank you!
What a great story, you done him justice there. Great edit 🔥
Great merch too!
Your videos about Tyson made me want to know more about boxing than ever !
OUCH! Grace and beauty - with those impossibly heavy impacts - still gives me the chills . . . .
Thank you very much for your videos, and the way you explain every single detail about it. Brilliant. 🙏 🥊🏆
He's back!
He returns!
I wonder how much the opiates factored into Pinklon's endurance. What a story, and to see Iron Mike display the respect that Pinklon clearly deserved was so gratifying. Incredible story, and thanks for making/posting the vid.
One of the things I love seeing most in combat sports it's when fighters show respect and praise their opponents post fight.
Welcome back, BLTV Classic!
Mike continues to use the "get right" in his hands to set people on the straight and narrow. That man was a public service.
Tyson's bodyshots and uppercuts are absolutely terrifying.
I've been waiting six months for this video! Finally, it's here
Finally! I waited for so long. Really love your videos!
6:03 no way!? angelo dundee said that? i know he was in thomas's corner but i didnt know he said pinky thomas would knockout mike, i will always respect mr. dundee because he was Ali's trainer but that was a wild statement for sure.
Well thomas kinda great fighter also he has a strong jab also you can see it at quick tillis fight
Don't be surprised. It's not the first time Dundee has said stupid BS. The man has always been pretty biased.
A. Angelo was cornering PT
B. At this point Tyson hadn’t faced a seasoned pro HW
C. Today we have the advantage of witnessing Tysons career HL’s. Angelo said this in what ? 1985?
@@ezsmith3765 May 87 I'm sure after first/second round.
His first and close test was in 86 against Tillis.
Glad Pinklon overcame has addiction. That's a bigger win than any I think, against a very tough opponent.
BLTV, man your videos just get more and more polished over time. I love the context and history you do before the actual fight coverage; the context adds so much gravitas to the actual fight and it's epilogue. Thanks a ton man, you're doing great work.
Welcome back! I've been waiting for a new video, and this didn't disappoint! 👍🏻👍🏻
Prime mike Tyson was crazy
Pinklon Thomas had a chin on him 😳👏🏻
Fascinating, as a Tyson fan I still keep seeing gems I never knew.
keep this work bro!!
I thought this channel was dead, and I'm glad this proves me wrong because I'm loving the chronological Iron Mike with your editing & narration!!
Return of the G
Thomas had a masterful jab. He was underrated.
Finally a new video!!! Got super excited to see this posted
A BLTV upload? Consider my day made
The music in the background is SMOOTH CRIMINAL
First video I've seen from this channel.
Extraordinary content, subbed instantly.
Thank you.
The 3D version of Iron Mike is pretty sweet.
Love that guy he used to coach at a boxing gym I used go too when I was real young before it closed down, very down to earth guy and great coach.
Seeing Thomas in good health is a beautiful thing. God bless!
Awesome vid, it’s always good to hear about the other boxer, knowing a little about their lives, where they come from and their boxing history
Great video guys!!!! Merch looks Decent
Nice to see more videos! Love these!
Such great content. Love the footage and editorial commentary - very well done.
Thomas took probably more power punches off Tyson than anyone, and got up, also one of the best jabs in history
: / YOU NEED TO SEE THE MITCH GREEN - MIKE TYSON FIGHT!
I'd say Ribalta
@@denisitele actually Mitch green took the most punches and kept coming.. : /
Tyson is the GOAT🐐
The quality and depth of the narration is impeccable. Well done.
Mike was a total savage. In the process of consolidating the heavyweight title, he takes a stay-busy fight against Pinklon Thomas. Amazing!
Season 2? Time to hit the bell
Lol I see you with the BF1 music.