Mike Tyson’s Strategy for Fighting Taller Fighters

Mike Tyson was one of the most dominant heavyweight boxers of all time, and one of the reasons for his success was his ability to defeat taller opponents. Although Tyson was only 5’11”, he was able to use his speed, elusiveness, and power to overcome his height disadvantage.

In a recent talk, Mike Tyson discussed his strategy for fighting taller fighters:

Get inside: Tyson knew that the key to defeating taller opponents was to get inside their reach. He would do this by moving his head quickly and staying low to the ground. A liver shot and hard punch in the gut is an effective way to bring the opponent in your territory.

Use leverage: Once Tyson was inside, he would use his leverage to his advantage. He could punch up, straight, down, or around, and he always had good power. The leverage must he used without having second thought because the guy who attacks first puts the opponent in uncomfortable position.

Jab: Tyson’s jab was one of his most effective weapons against taller opponents. He would use his timing to jab his opponents before they could land their own punches. A jab could be a knockout punch if hit with precision and full strength.

Hit and move: For Mike Tyson, the key to attack and stay unscathed was the strategy of hit and move. Tyson was ferocious with his body movements, particularly with his head. As soon as he hit his opponent with a deadly strike, he immediately changed his position for another strike.

Believe in yourself: Tyson also emphasized the importance of self-belief. He said that once he started believing in himself, things began to work out for him.

It works same for everyone who is interested in boxing or defending himself against a taller opponent. All these strategies might stay in your head but if you don’t believe enough in yourself, you might never find enough confidence to put everything in action.

In an unequal fight, it is about knowing your advantage and using it for useful purpose. You might have seen taller and stronger opponents being undone by relatively shorter and less stronger ones.

A taller opponent take times to move swiftly but they have got some crazy strength and if you can escape that and give something more destructive in return in less time, then you can always stay ahead in the game and never forget, confidence is the key.

Tyson’s strategy was highly effective, and he defeated many taller opponents throughout his career. Some of his most notable victories over taller opponents include:

* Trevor Berbick (6’3″)

* Evander Holyfield (6’2″)

* Frank Bruno (6’3″)

* Larry Holmes (6’3″)

* Tony Tucker (6’5″)

Tyson’s success against taller opponents is an inspiration to all boxers, regardless of their height. It shows that with the right strategy and preparation, it is possible to overcome any physical disadvantage.