Wow, what an insulting question just to discredit Mike, but you know what, I’m going to give an answer might as well.
Although Mike’s boxing career is somewhat very complicated and misunderstood. Mike still had a very successful boxing career even if that means it was controversial. For instance, as to why Mike is in the boxing hall of fame despite losing to a so-called journeyman as the ignorant question asked, well here’s the answer.
Becoming the youngest heavyweight champion
Perhaps what made Mike in the boxing hall of fame is in fact becoming the youngest heavyweight champion when he defeated the former heavyweight champion, Trevor Berbick at just 20 years, 4 months, and 22 days old.
What else…
How about also becoming the first heavyweight boxer to simultaneously hold the WBA, WBC and IBF titles, and the only heavyweight to unify them successively.
What also stands out for Mike to be in the boxing hall of fame is he made history of becoming the first heavyweight to unify in succession and simultaneously hold the WBA, WBC and IBF titles when he defeated another former heavyweight champion, Tony Tucker, at 21 years old. That’s another accomplishment Mike made that again put him in the hall of fame.
Anything else…
How about retaining the title twice after release from prison in the same year, 1996 and 6 years after losing the title to, you guessed it, that same so-called journeymen Buster Douglas.
Another notable hall of fame accomplishment that Mike made was after his release from prison and his upset loss to Buster Douglas in Tokyo. Mike Tyson regained the heavyweight crown when he defeated Frank Bruno for the WBC heavyweight crown and defeating Bruce Seldon for the WBA heavyweight title in the same year 1996. Thus, becoming the 6th all-time great heavyweights to regain a title in a comeback version after Muhammad Ali, Floyd Patterson, Evander Holyfield, George Foreman, and Tim Witherspoon.
All in all, sure as the question falsely claim, Mike did lose to so-called journeyman Buster Douglas. But guess what, what put Mike in the hall of fame is because well, he had a better career than Douglas and made a far better accomplishment than Douglas ever did. In a nutshell, the only reason Mike lost to so-called “journeyman” Buster Douglas is because simply put, he part ways with Kevin Rooney, his new teams suck, he joined Don King and more importantly, he was out of shape and didn’t train as he should be.
And oh, one last thing, to call some boxer a bum or journeyman well, here’s the word from Mike himself…
