Agree with @Quicksand. Speed, power, aggression, Tyson’s up there, but there’s more to being the greatest boxer than that. Floyd Mayweather Jr on the other hand…he’d be well up there.
I don’t think anyone is arguing that Tyson was a cerebral master of the art of boxing - but to rate him as just a pure brawler is also a mistake, IMO. Mayweather Jr is perhaps one of the best tactical boxers ever to come along, yet I’d prefer to watch Prime Tyson over him any day of the week. Tyson’s combination of speed and power at his prime are unmatched. Claims that he wouldn’t lay a glove on Ali are completely false - Tyson had crazy hand speed and would have eventually caught Ali. For the record - I still think Ali wins that fight if both were at their primes, but Tyson would clip him a few times.
If you’re talking about the greatest of all time as far as boxers go - you almost have to break it down into individual categories. Marciano’s career was cut short when he was 49-0, but he never really fought anyone of note at their peak. Mayweather Jr probably has a good shout, and he fought a lot of very good fighters in their primes, but his fights became so boring and predictable in the latter half of his career. Also a shithouse human.
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Tyson was an absolute machine, have you seen his early matches? He just battered people.
I’m not a huge boxing fan, but he would be the no.1 from that sport.
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Yeah, to say Tyson was just a brawler is underrating him, he was better than that. Wouldn’t achieve what he did only by being a brawler. I have no issues if he’s not mentioned among the very best (who have had more “results” for longer periods), but you have to give him a lot more credit. It was not just physical and wild.
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I have always maintained that if Tyson had better people around him and was able to keep his demons at bay, he would have been the GOAT. As it is, he had a load of shithouses around him and couldn’t keep his demons at bay, so he never achieved the heights that his potential promised. Sports is littered with similar stories. Alex Higgins in snooker comes to mind, but there are many others and not always falling victim to drugs/drink, sometimes guys with limitless potential just decide to walk away from the game for one reason or another.
People shitting on Tyson either don’t remember his early career or have never seen it. If you judge him based on his losses or his later fights, you’re missing the point.
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Yeah Ty Cobb makes sense you could make a case for closer Mariano Rivera as well based on his job.
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Yup. Again - baseball you’d have to split up into different categories. Babe Ruth might edge it since he was dominant as a pitcher and at the plate. He was also a very good outfielder. He basically single-handedly pulled baseball out of the dead ball era, hitting an obscene (for the time) 54 HRs in I think 1920, then 59 the following year in 21. Prior to that even 30 HRs in a season was unthinkable. His SLG of like .893 or something in the 21 season was the record for decades until Hank Aaron came along.
That said, many baseball writers of the time and later believe that Ty Cobb had every bit of the talent and ability that Ruth had, but he shunned individual accolades and preferred to hit singles/doubles to load bases and try to score more runs. There’s a story of a reporter asking Cobb before a game if he thought he could hit dingers like Ruth, and Cobb replied that it took no skill to do what Ruth was doing - went on to hit 2HRs and 5 total base hits in the game. Tough call. ALso, Cobb got stabbed on the way to a double header once and played both games. Nut case.
Edit to add a note about Rivera - if you’re just talking closers, then no-one else is even in the same galaxy as Rivera. And absolute master of his craft.
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No one really “shitting” on him, personally just expressing a view that he doesn’t belong in the same tier as Ali. And overall, not in the same vein as Duran, Leonard, Marciano, Mayweather Junior.
His early fights were impressive, but overall he was not enough boxer to be considered as GOAT.
But hey, its all about opinion.
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Yup I must have seen and read about the Yankees in that late 90s period and if he stepped up with a 1 or 2 lead you’d be shocked if he couldn’t see it out.
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i was about to ask that…
i know bugger all about the game but i was under the impression that big Jonah was untouchable…albeit without the longevity.
i cant argue hes the GOAT…but in my lifetime, Ronaldinhos flame burned brighter than anyone i ever witnessed…it was just to brief at the very peak of his game to be in the conversation…
but at his absolute peak…absolute ridiculous footballer…i still smile when i think of that madrid game…not even sensible…
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He was superb, and if rumour at the time was to be believed he was close to signing for Man Utd. Thank God!!
Clearly a very subjective topic. My view on GOAT is based on natural ability, not necesserily their achievements. Which I appreciate won’t be everyone elses view. More the person who made the hairs on the back of my neck stand up rather than seeing their stats!
That’s why I’d go Sullivan for snooker, Maradona for football (the other Ronaldo as my no2.) etc.
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Is the GOAT sportsman confined to sport with worldwide appeal? Or is it someone whose excellence in their own sport makes them better than others in other sports?
Is there a compelling argument for Tom Brady in a sport confined to one area, versus Tiger Woods with global appeal?
I suppose uts always subjective like naming best teams etc.
Eddie Keher
Christy Ring
Mick O Connell
Jack O Shea
Matt Connor
All top of their field.
GOAT?
What has appeal got to do with how good a sportsman is?
We could limit this to multidisiplined sports like Decathlon for skill technique and Triathlon for endurance. Then aren’t many sports and particularly team sports multiidisiplinary in nature Rugby is and involves great diversity of types would lose out on the worldwide appeal though.
Personally I feel we can mention anyone we feel like who impresses us, gave us pleasure and we respect. W ecan not all know all the sports of the world but we can certainly learn something from each other.
Like the boxing debate many just go the heavyweight route but when I watch it I love those middle weight and lower bouts where it’s not about who lands the first KO punch. Then getting into the Tyson debate he was the 1st heavy weight who made me sit up as he was so quick agressive and powerful, not a boring moment just a shame he didn’t get the techniques but then he probably wouldn’t have made me sit up.
Yes, I am personally drawn to elevating athletes who can demonstrate that they are multi-talented. I notice also that we are only discussing fully able-bodied athletes here when there will be a number of disabled athletes that ought to be considered in this conversation. Another category, even though I’d be loathe to admit it, would be e-sports. In 20 years time there will be some teenager who’s really great at FIFA2041 being lauded as the greatest sportsperson of all time. Guarantee it. 
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Well, the most endurable GOAT can only be Cal Ripken Jr. He played 2632 consecutive games.
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I’d bet few would know who Dame Tanni Grey Thompson is. All about what’s popular and on what the media focuses. Driven by the advertisers, Bolt is selling more Nike than Tanni is selling racing wheelchairs. Cynical I know but that’s life. I doubt the England womens’ team’s exploits at a worldcup will ever be “bigger” than the men’s in my lifetime. And that’s the first hurdle.
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Now that I think about it, Mat Fraser is probably the greatest pure athlete of all time.
There you go I’d never heard of crossfit until you mentionned Mat Fraser.
Yet how can you proclaim him GOAT if I’ve never heard of him or his discipline before under your own criteria?
I think my criteria is sooo much better. 
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