Boxing is a guilty pleasure for me. My dad had been an
amateur boxer. Watching boxing together was 'a thing'
back when Muhammed Ali was called Cassius Clay. Boxing should probably be
outlawed because it permanently injures almost all fighters, but as long as it
is around I will probably peek in from time to time because ‘The Sweet Science’
is viscerally compelling to someone who has thrown and taken punches.
The perception of Mike Tyson having a simplistic and sloppy
technique overlooks his genuine skill. Tyson was known for an aggressive style,
power, and speed, but there was more subtlety and sophistication to his
approach than he's often credited for.
Firstly, Tyson's peek-a-boo style, taught by Cus D'Amato,
emphasized constant head movement and angling to make him a difficult target to
hit, while simultaneously positioning him to launch powerful counterattacks.
This style requires a high degree of skill, timing, and conditioning to execute
effectively.
Secondly, Tyson's ability to close the distance with his
opponents rapidly, utilizing his footwork and speed, allowed him to deliver
devastating combinations. His skill in cutting off the ring and forcing
opponents into corners or against the ropes where they couldn't escape his
power shots demonstrates strategic intelligence and not just brute force.
Moreover, Tyson had a keen understanding of psychology in
the ring, using intimidation and his reputation to gain a mental edge over
opponents before the first bell even rang. This psychological aspect is often
overlooked but is a critical component of boxing at the highest levels.
Overall, Tyson's technique was far from simplistic or
sloppy. It was the product of rigorous training and innate talent, finely tuned
to maximize his strengths and exploit his opponents' weaknesses. His style
might have appeared straightforward to some because of its sheer effectiveness,
but it was underpinned by complex strategy and technical skills.
Mike Tyson’s style in particular was devastatingly effective
at a price to his opponents that I don’t think was worth paying. Below is an
excerpt from a Milton Acorn poem that eloquently conveys the ultimate effect of
a boxing career.
In stinking
dancehalls, in
the forums of
small towns,
punches are
cheaper but
still pieces of
death.
For the brain's
the target
with its hungers
and code of
honor. See
in those stinking
little towns,
with long counts,
swindling judges,
how fury ends
with the last gong.
No matter who's
the cheated one
they hug like
girl and man.
It's craft and
the body rhythmic
and terrible,
the game of
struggle.
We need something
of its nature
but not this :
for the brain's
the target
and round by
round it's whittled
till nothing's
left of a man
but a jerky bum,
humming
with a gentleness
less than human.—Milton Acorn “The Fights”
