The Fighting Life: Pinklon Thomas, "Mike Tyson was sheltered"
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- čas přidán 19. 06. 2024
- In this interview from 2006, former WBC heavyweight champion Pinklon Thomas talks about his 1987 fight with Mike Tyson, his relationship with trainer Angelo Dundee and his life outside the ring. #boxing #pinklonthomas #miketyson #boxinghistory #historyofboxing
The man had heart. He fought Mike Tyson like a CHAMP. He didn't run.
No such thing as running in boxing, boxers nowadays too lazy to cut off the ring .
@@rebelarchangel1589facts
a Man
His only losses were to some of the greatest fighters of all time
He was 1 of Larry Holmes gifts. He beat Holmes in my opinion.
Pinklon is looking and sounding good these days.
mouthful of peanut butter
This interview my man, was done 18 years ago.
@@allancerf9038
D'oh!
I didn't realise that it was ancient.
I thought Pinklon was ageing gracefully.
I can’t believe how well Pinklon looks, hes polite and his speech is articulate. Mans a really good dude, thankfully getting smashed up by Tyson didn’t leave any permanent damage.
Excellent point he made about Kevin Rooney being removed from the Tyson camp.
Indubidubly 🙂
WHETHER IT'S AN (EXCELLENT) POINT OR NOT.. 1 THING PINKLON DOESN'T KNOW,
"👉🏾IS THAT MIKE-TYSON (HIM-SELF) WAS THE 1 WHO (FIRED) ROONEY.. AND THIS IS A (FACT).. EITHER WAY, EVENTUALLY..
"👉🏾TYSON WOULD'VE (LOST) REGARDLESS WHO WAS IN HIS (CORNER)!!!🤷🏾🥱💯
Cus D Mamato Kevin Rooney Mike Tyson was a great TEAM
Agreed
@@malikmoncrieft6305Under the direction of Don King. Tyson was just a kid. It wasn’t really Mike. The real power was behind the scenes.
Best analysis of where Mike went wrong, by a man who Mike called his toughest ever opponent. Once Rooney was gone Mike's slide into a lesser fighter was inevitable.
Mr. Thomas is a Class Act, God Bless Him.
I watched Pinklon Thomas growing up. The perfect Jab. A really good fighter.
Pinklon is a smart man. Very introspective and full of worldy experience. Glad to see that he is doing better. He was spot on with his comments about the impact that losing Kevin Rooney had on the career of Mike Tyson.
One of my favorite fighters of that time. I loved this guy….
He looks and sounds really good; God bless him….
This man had an all time great jab
He did.
Much like Carl Williams and Bruce Seldon, guys who were terrific jabbers, but get forgotten because they weren't HOFs.
True sonny Liston did have the greatest jab in boxing
@@da90sReAlvloc true you only learned about Liston a few months ago and think you know anything about boxing.
What about Larry Holmes
@@jw-vx8im
Larry Holmes had the best jab of any heavyweight, hands down.
Thanks pink for all the great fights.
Yes, once they have achieved the Championship of the world, it will never be wrong to call them Champ. Great career Champ, watched as many fights of yours that I could and knew you would make world Champion someday.
Thanks for the video, Throwback Media
What a humble and very cool person
Great to see that Pinklon appears to be doing so well. He's endured not only the effects of boxing but also of heroin addiction.
The best knock out I’ve ever seen, I think it was an 11punch combo. Pinklon was out on his feet.
Tyson when he fought Thomas was definitely on his way to being one of the greats if not the greatest ever, it’s telling that thomas couldn’t admit that. I think Tyson was past his prime after the spinks fight. That Tyson I believe would have beat anyone in any era. The dynamite he had got taken away with the lifestyle and people he had around him. Larry Holmes said it right before they fought when he said Tyson was an adrenaline fighter that once that goes he’d go down as an S.O.B. Lol The natural adrenaline Tyson from inflicting pain left him when he became too rich and too arrogant too civilised surrounded himself with yes men married the original amber heard, went to prison for a crime he most likely did not commit, got used by King. When he fought Lewis Holyfield he was on his second career still good enough to mix it and beat top fighters but the speed movement and combos were gone. Lewis and Holyfield stayed dedicated hungry, drug and controversy free so maintained and improved theirs skills. But at their best and Tyson’s best there is only one winner for me.
You say you think Mike Tyson was past his prime when he fought Spinks, Tyson was only 21 years old when he fought the blowing up light heavyweight Michael Spinks who was 31 years old at the time. It is clear to me that you never really paid attention to Mike Tyson's opponents Mike Tyson's opponent Mike Tyson's opponents. The most of Mike Tyson's opponents were either 10 years older than him or had only seven or eight professional fights. And the only thing that people paid attention to was the fashion that Mike Tyson knocked those guys out in. He was always a great shape and had good power and speed, but who was he fighting really? The best Young fighter that Mike Tyson ever beat was Tony Tucker who lost their close 12 round decision to Tyson. Lennox Lewis KO'D Tucker. As well as every other opponent Mike Tyson beat. All of the best fighters from Tyson's era he never faced such as Rudick Bowe,who would have beaten Tyson just As Lewis and Holyfield did.then there were the Klitschko brothers, Ike Abayabushi, David Tua, tough Ray Mercer who gave Holyfield in Lewis both a better fight than Tyson ever did. Tyson never fought David Hayes or Chris Byrd or James Toney whom all 3 was also a slick fighters. He never fought even old George Foreman or Tommy Morrison. If you pay attention to Tyson's career he mostly fought guys that wasn't on his level. He never fought any of those accomplished named fighters who was fighting in his time with the exception of Holyfield and Lennox Lewis who both defeated him. Mike Tyson was a very special fighter but the only time you can say he was really tested with another top-notch fighter was with Holyfield and Lewis whom both were older than Tyson. You can only go down in history as being as good as the people you have beaten, not the ones you never faced. As an example Muhammad Ali beat 11 Hall of Famer Fighters Mike Tyson lost to the two Hall of Famers he faced. I would Place Mike Tyson a good runner-up to the great ones like Ali, Holyfield Holmes, and Linux Lewis, Joe Lewis
@@anthonytoler3916 not past his prime but reached his peak and after that he began losing a lot of his head movement and combos
He wasn’t training like he used to partying and loss of Rooney his last connection to cus
he could never beat Evander or Lewis idc when they fought
@@anthonytoler3916 he was well past his best when he fought Lewis and Holyfield on his second career.
At his best Holyfield or Lewis wouldn’t have beaten him
Unbelievable chin
Makes a very good point about Kevin Rooney no longer being there, but let’s get one thing straight, Tyson is an ATG HW. Asking the question, “was he on the road to ATG status”, he’s already that. The question will always remain, “should he have achieved more”. And the answer is yes!
Definitely
Nah.
Your close. But let's get something straight. Mike Tyson according to Teddy Atlas fought too many tomato cans. His record was padded with nobodies and people who were not a threat to him physically.
And every time he faced a genuine threat he lost. He was challenged 5 times by opponents who were not tomato cans and he lost all 5 times. (He lost 6 times in total.)
Mike Tyson is at best a cautionary tale of what can happen to a promising boxer with tremendous potential.
He will never be the greatest and only had a dominant era of 5 years. Compare that to Ali, Frazier, or Larry Holmes.
-Never came from behind to win,
-never got off the canvas to win.
-Never overcame adversity to reach the top.
-Disqualified for bitting in a championship match (disgraceful)
-Appeared on the Sports Illustrated Cover after the fight with the headline "Madman".
-Convicted Rapist and felon.
-Quit and gave up in his last KO loss (Jack Dempsey would be sickened.)
Sorry Pal, but I require just a tiny bit more character from my greatest heavyweight of all time. Mike is an embarrassment to boxing.
Greatest hype job eva
@@gopherstate777 no tyson fought loads of good fighters it’s easy to say the 5 decent fighters he lost to were the only challenges to him😂😂😂😂 most of his title fights were against top Calibre opposition your obviously a hater or someone who follows a certain narrative of what people say! Atlas has a total jealousy of Mike he hated Mike for years!
Tyson was only 20 when he won the title and 21 when he became undisputed!! And you say Tyson never faced adversity imagine the pressure of Mike at that age! He was most talked about person on earth and he was still performing!!
tucker who was also unbeaten pushed Tyson to a close fight
Tyson kod larry Holmes and Is the only person to do so in his whole career and holmes won another 26 times after that beating an unbeaten ray mercer and giving Holyfield hell!
Tyrell Biggs Olympic gold medalist and unbeaten Tyson knocked him out
Tony tubbs former champ and only lost once In a close fight split decision Mike knocked him out!
Spinks gold medalist former champ and lineal champ at the time also unbeaten and remember a lot of people said spinks would win ! Tyson kod him in the first!
Douglas loss Tyson was getting batterd Tyson came back and dropped him at the end of round 8 and he was unlucky in that the didn’t wave that off!
The razor ruddock fights were tough and Tyson had to overcome adversity in those!
Tyson also won titles in to different decades 10 years apart!
He lost to Holyfield but come on Tyson was nearly 5 years out the ring and fought a total of under 6 rounds he was nowhere near ready for Holyfield at that time! Still got up and fought on til the ref stopped it in round 11! That fight was evens up u til round 10!
Tyson was way way past it with Lewis etc! Know your facts instead of listening to Tyson haters
I've described Tyson's change/lack/deterioration in style once he completely abandoned his original corner precisely the way Thomas does from watching it live through today. He wasn't peekaboo bobbing, weaving, and was just going headhunting.
Seems like a humble good guy.
Great interview
Respect. Good to hear articulate former athletes. ✊🏽👊🏽🥊
Thomas was a terrific boxer and champion, I was fortunate to meet him briefly at the IBHOF in Canastota some years back, and he was an absolute class act, chatting and taking pictures with fans. I'm really glad to see him looking and sounding healthy, something that we don't always see in former World champions years after they retire from the sport.
Good to see you again. Seems like you completely disappeared after the Tyson fight. Glad you’re feeling good.👍🙏🏼
The finishing sequence Tyson hit Thomas with was 16 flush power shots. Never saw anyone absorb that much from Mike before going down. Pinklon had a ton of ability and was tough as nails. Even when badly faded, he took terrible punishment vs Riddick Boer and still don’t go down.
Pink had an Underrated jab
Great interview with a good guy. I wish the best for Pinklon.
This man would be the undefeated Champion today. No heavyweight today could beat him.
He had a large drug problem and in any era that is a death sentence.
@@vincentfisher1603a career death sentence in this sport for sure. Drugs prevented this man for having an excellent career commensurate with his talent and skills.
He was average.. nothing special at all ...
Cap
The heavyweight division of today is crap
When asked who was his toughest fight mike tyson said this man!PINKLON
Lol. He also said that about Holyfield, Ruddick, and a couple others. Depends on his mood and time of day.
Met Pinklon at a signing. He is proud of that GED which blew my mind but made sense to me a few years later. It says alot about the man
Not a smart man but a very wise man
Im a huge Dundee fan so this was nice to hear. I met Pinklon when Angelo was filming Cinderella Man
Great fighter and fine gentelman.
Well spoken, Mr Thomas.
Trust me all the battles in life there;s so many champions.
Let's go champ really in enjoyed ur Career Thanks for the Memories🏌
I was at his fight with Berbick in Vegas in 86.
He seems healthy, sounds sharp. Good for him that he is aging well so far.
we love Pinklon
Nothing but respect
I remember the amount of heart he showed.against Tyson. Great fighter. Hope he is doing well.fin ancially, unlike many former champs
It's amazing to know how many times we saw this dude hold is own or win with some of the top HWs of the 80s.....many times of which he was high as a kite!
Can you imagine how great he could have been if he put 100% into boxing and laid off the drugs????
He's looking great and sounds wonderful.....what a great guy to still have around. Cannot wait to read his book!
He was a tough guy. He did better against Mike thank many guys, when Mike was virtually invincible.
He did nothing remarkable agaist Tyson. The 20 years old Tyson beat the shit out of him.
Back then getting past of the first round was a pretty big deal - but agree, Tyson did steamroll him. I recently watched the Jose Ribalta fight, I have no idea how that man got up from some of the shots Tyson delivered - he was VERY tough @@FFMM7
Franklin when he was on his game was one of if not the best of the post Larry Holmes era outside of iron Mike this interview is 12 years old a little dated but still great to hear pink one because Angelo had passed away in early 2014. Much respect to former WBC heavyweight 👏💯champ p pinklin Thomas
Tyson gave this guy a horrendous beating... I think buddy ate an eleven punch combo at the end💥💀
interesting thoughts on Kevin Rooney
tyson never appeared to be the same
Much love to Pinklon Thomas! I'm from Pontiac, Michigan and film all of my music videos there. Pinko is well respected and revered here and there is a street named after him
You the police
@@DeezzzzzzNuts12 Good I'm glad
You're also a princess
@@DeezzzzzzNuts12 No princess in me...I'm all man 👊🏽 💪🏾
@@IsmailAbdulMusic you're all woman princess
Pinklon Thomas sounds like the real deal. A wise man
Imagine being in the hospital delivery room and they're like let's name this mfer Pinklon
First boxing mstch was probably koing his parents for that
Sheltered? That final combo by Tyson practically sent Pinky's head into orbit.
Facts!!😵💫
17 unanswered blows pinklon took in that combo.
Pinklon was A tough guy.
Right hand , left hook
Tyson was sheltered. They were right to do it. Cus knew that Tyson was gifted but extremely immature. Predictably, he fell apart.
Well Pinklon was the opposite of sheltered vs Tyson lol.
That was an excellent point about Stevenson's maybe crumbling after three or four rounds. The amateur and pro games are so different.
True that.
Duran said the same thing, and Castro got mad
He was one of the best ❤
@ 7 minutes he mentioned Craig Payne. I knew him(rip) as my first coach was his coach. As a matter of fact he's 84 or 85 years old and still active coaching at a gym in metro Detroit.
Pontiac Michigan man. Tough as nails
I like hearing the inside truth about boxers
I remember him and 'Scrap Iron' Johnson at the Hoover Streeet Gym.
Holy crap this man could take a shot. Tyson must have hit him 40 times in 1st round
Bad defense and footwork could have watched Ali
@@AnthonyRobinson-dc3pq
☝️captain obvious
grate man! was dame good too
pinklon was a very good fighter had a drug problem from a young age ,he didnt take the sport up till late a complete natural speaks well good he is doing well.
Brilliant pinkey
He was trying to manage other fighters and become a recording artist whilst he held the WBC Heavyweight title. I couldn't fathom that.
I agree wholeheartedly with the Kevin Rooney comment. Once King got his hooks in him, it was all over for Tyson.
A good boxer.. He's so proud of getting his diploma..
As much as I love you pinky your whole life struggles and your unique boxing style you are underrated and definitely hall of famer..... Mike Tyson had the best people around him who nurtured and fed him develop his natural abilities to perfection and and he excelled.... The tragedy was when he got to the top he crashed and burned because he could not take it to the next level outside the ring with the fame and f Fortune Fortune he could have had longevity better Sussex... You know better than anybody else that the fast lane drugs and streets will rob you..❤ I'm glad that you are holding your own and not be a tragic statistic as x champion and your health motor skills are still with you
Ole Pink was a bad ass boxer , Greatness
Respect 🏆💪🏽🫡
Pinklon had one of the best jabs in boxing when he was on top
I grew up in Saugerties next to Catskill where Mike trained, Kevin Roonies ex wife was my sisters good friend. My brother n law was the President of council 82 and they also supported Mike. Pinklin is 100% right, especially about Kevin Roonie and his role in helping Mike. Without him, things went south soon. Pinklin was an incredible Boxer, had he lived a healthy and focused life, would have been a great.
Good solid person
Fact is Tyson fought these men past their prime
Holyfield fought Tyson when Tyson was past his prime.
Thomas was 29 when he fought Tyson, are today's top heavyweights, all in their mid to late 30s past their prime? Why aren't there 20 year old kids challenging them? Should be easy for them to beat up 'old men'.
@@roboi2241 Lots of jealous Tyson haters who don't care the facts...
@@JimSib1 Tyson was 29 years old when he fought Holyfield the first time, and Holyfield was several years older, so you can't use that excuse.
@@djeanpierre Age has nothing to do with it Tyson simply was not the same fighter he was before going to prison. Remember Muhammad Ali was off for three years in exile before he fought Joe Frazier and he was not the same fighter afterwards Ali in his prime would have made Frazier look like an amateur so it's not the age it's the activity that causes the downfall of most great fighters.
Mike seems to bf going just fine right now
Pinklon is a real G
That was good!
I love Pink and very happy to see he's doing and looking well. But the part where he called Tyson crued and disrespectful, AFTER he stuck his glove up in his face saying he'll snatch the gold out his mouth?!😂 While we all agree the loss of Rooney and Cus, were a major turning point in Mike's career, I find it funny how the guys Mike destroyed in the ring, seem to give his career the least amount of respect. Pink's loss to Mike was brutal.
Pinky was a great fighter but within 3 years he fought Tyson,Holyfield,Bowe and Morrison. The best at the time all consecutively. That wore him out. (And who wouldn't be?)
Pinklon "Pink" Thomas was beside Larry Holmes and Tim Witherspoon regarded as the best HW boxer active in the middle 80's (!).
While Trevor Berbick, a 7-1 underdog was a very sturdy and strong heavyweight, Pinklon Thomas was overall a better boxer, and yet he could not for some odd reason get past Berbick, who showed his strength, meanness and toughness was enough to steal the fight by a close UD (115-113 x2 & 116-113). Thomas did not let his hands go and did not use his good jab work!
Thomas would have one more shot at the world heavyweight title in 1987 against young-prime Mike Tyson and a showdown with Evader Holyfield in 1988 before career best days was past. Had two iconic fights against Riddick Bowe and Tommy Morrison in late 1990 and early 1991 respectively until final career moment came in 1992 when winning both inaugural minor titles of the
IBO & WBF heavyweight titles!
this guy really took a bad beating from Mike.
Lovely fella
Tysons biggest mistake was firing Kevin Rooney. Tyson would have retired undefeated. Second biggest mistake was having Don King as a manager.
The truth!!! Love hearing honesty...I love Mike growing up.. just like most from that generation...but Mike was extremely overrated...Once Kevin Rooney was removed it showed
He still looks fit and healthy and sounds relatively articulate. Not bad for a lifetime in the ring.
Pinklon Thomas was the greatest
Thomas, one my all-time favorites, was IMHO the most deceptive heavyweights in the ring. He could've taken Holmes, and I've long suspected that Holmes ducked him. For that matter, I also think Holmes ducked Coatzee, who I also think could have taken Holmes. That Thomas-Coetzee fight-to-a- draw was classic.
He comes across very well, except for the grudging remarks about Tyson. Not wrong about his being sheltered or the disaster of dumping Rooney, but he couldn't get himself to say more than a few words about his ring skills. But he was on the nose about Teo Stevenson, and his own career showed a tought, skilled champion.
I have been saying that for years,Kevin should have been with Mike,that was one of the down falls of Mike's boxing,the second blow
Like Holmes, Thomas was past his prime when he fight Tyson
Thomas was 29 when he fought Tyson, are today's top heavyweights, all in their mid to late 30s past their prime? Why aren't there 20 year old kids challenging them? Should be easy for them to beat up 'old men'. Holmes was 1 year older than Usyk is now, when he fought Mike so I assume any up coming 20 year old prospect now should have no problem with the battle weary 37 year old Ukrainian.
Pinklon Thomas shot and a faded fighter when he faced Tyson yet he still gave tyson a testing match.
The 1983-85 healthy Thomas would have pushed tyson very hard
You were heavy weight champ, not I or anyone else could take that from you.
But you said
1) You put your glove in Tyson's face and said "When you pull back you're gonna take the gold out his mouth." He knocked you out into another time zone.
2) "He was sheltered." But yet held all the belts longer than you held one.
3) "He wasn't destined for greatness."
But he's the youngest champion in history, he chopped down giants (you were one of them), when people hear Mike and boxing in the same sentence EVERYONE assumes it's Kid Dynamite they're talking about. When anyone say, Pinklon, Thomas or Pinklon Thomas people say, "Who?"
He looks damn good
Spot on about Rooney. Why can’t Mike just admit it now that he is older. Had Tyson stayed with Rooney and stayed straight he could have retired 60-0 at 28-29 years old with 500 million in his bank account. Too many demons poor guy.
they did shelter him from George foreman, don king didn't want that fight
Prime Tyson would have beaten old George prime foreman beats prime Tyson ☝️🤨
Best jab in heavyweight history.
Better than Holmes? Better than Ali? You must have taken more drugs than Pinklon.
In my opinion. . . Yes. I knew an old sparring partner of his. He told me Thomas's jab was like a Jack Hammer. Put the fear of God in him.Sunny Liston & Holmes 2nd.
Nah : sonny Liston / Larry Holmes / Riddick bowe / buster Douglas even … better.
@@petebooth5121 LOL
@@petebooth5121He was vastly underrated
Angelo said it best. He would have been the greatest if he was focused.
Fought against 4 elite heavyweights during his career, lost to them all , QUIT against 3 of them🤦♂️🤦♂️🤦♂️ and got kod....
I agree with him 100% !!! On the part where when he got rid of Rooney he went downhill!! He let Don King talk that shit!! Rooney came from his master
Roney is just as crooked as any of them.
Crazy how he has a similar voice to Evander
No mention of Cus..really??
it was he who honed his skills!!
Best jab ever, great chin ,great fighter
Pugilism has turned into the sad art of holding on to another man through the entire fight instead of even remotely boxing
Thought he was headed towards a better career..especially after knocking out Weaver..very surprised he lost to Berbick in his next fight..
still looks young .
Whats weird is people claim he looked "OLD" when he was young, lol
Thats how it was in the 1980's, People in their late 20's looked like they were in their late 30's, lol
This is from 2006 😮
Sad to me when great athletes can't just say another one was great, too. Tyson sure looked great when he beat Pinklon in 6.
WELL HE SAID HE WAS GOING TO DEMOLISHED TYSON , THEN HE WAS DESTROYED INSTEAD .