The Sweet Science

Can we all at least agree that Mike Tyson is the "baddest man on the planet"? Iron Mike was the most dominant heavyweight fighter ever and arguably the best of all time. In his prime, Tyson was absolutely unstoppable--raw, relentless, brute, and powerful. His entrance into the arena--shirtless or in a cut-out towel draped around his neck sent a bone-chilling fear into this opponents. They cowered in the ring, in anticipation of the most vicious uppercuts in the history of mankind. Referees counting to ten and the relative comfort of being face-down on the mat, were the only sense of relief and escape, for those that dared to face him.

Tyson created an aura that was unmatched. The ringside was electric, closed circuit/PPV homes at a premium, and kids with Mike Tyson's PunchOut, the most popular. Heavyweight boxing was at a pinnacle because simply put, Tyson was there and boxing mattered. The spectre of impending doom of his opponents filled the seats and minted money. A strong argument can be made that Muhammad Ali was equally entertaining, and the best heavyweight champion ever. Ali, was the polar opposite of Tyson--nimble, quick, flashy, and full of guile. He was without a doubt equally important for the sport and brought it to the heights that enabled Tyson to become a superstar.

Who's the best of all-time? We'll never know but this can be argued until the end of day. The mythical Tyson-Ali fight remains the most desired of matchups. You can't go wrong with the butterfly quick Ali, but I'll hang my hat on the man who eloquently stated: "Everybody has a plan 'till they get punched in the mouth." Iron. Mike. Tyson.