Even those who are not boxing fanatics know who Mike Tyson is. It’s hard for someone not to. The “baddest man on the planet” spent 59 matches throwing punches in the ring, and his record of being the youngest heavyweight champion at just 20 years old remains untouched to date. Yet, when Yardbarker, a sports media outlet, dropped their list of the 25 greatest pound-for-pound boxers of all time, they chose not to have him in.

This is surprising, since 44 of his 50 wins came by knockouts, and he was a force not to be reckoned with in the late 80s to early 90s. When he became the undisputed heavyweight champion on the first day of August 1987, he was unmatched in the division—his name would strike fear in his opponents. Yet, he found no mention on the list. But he wasn’t the only one who got snubbed. Despite being part of the list at No.17, another icon, Floyd Mayweather, was ranked well below boxers like Pernell Whitaker, Archie Moore, Ezzard Charles, Manny Pacquiao, and the Marvelous Marvin Hagler.

The rankings were released in February this year, with boxers from the earliest era to the present being ranked on the list. Manny Pacquiao took the 13th spot. The top 10 included Marvin Hagler, Sugar Ray Leonard, Benny Leonard, Joe Louis, Roberto Duran, Willie Pep, Harry Greb, Henry Armstrong, Muhammad Ali, and finally, at the No.1 spot, the legendary Sugar Ray Robinson. There were many other notable names who failed to make the cut, like Roy Jones Jr., Lennox Lewis, Ricardo López, Larry Holmes, and Evander Holyfield.

The list from Yardbarker included a more reminiscing recap of boxing’s historical past with names like Joe Gans, Barney Ross, Archie Moore, and Benny Leonard, despite being comparatively lesser known than some other names. But why did Mike Tyson get left out? And doesn’t Pretty Boy deserve to be a bit higher on the index?

Why Mike Tyson got left out of the pound-for-pound list

There are as many as five factors that Yardbaker must have used to decide whom to include and where to place them on their P4P list. The first and most obvious one is the number of world titles a boxer has won across multiple weight divisions, opponents bested, and career longevity. While the 50-0 record brought Mayweather on the list, it could take him only so far upwards.

Now, Iron Tyson stayed in the heavyweight division throughout his career, where he unified all 3 belts available at the time—IBF, WBC, and WBA. As for his fights, he was defeated by Lennox Lewis as well as Evander Holyfield, the two best heavyweights of the time, both of whom themselves failed to find a place on the list. Next, it can be that skill levels like technical ability, mastery in defenses/offences, and ring IQ were taken into account.

Finally, regardless of their weight classes, a boxer’s historical influence in the sport is also one of the most determining factors in whether they should come off as a pound-for-pound best. And, while the stats were overall good, it could be that there was a degree of personal judgment involved while preparing the list, which can naturally happen. So, maybe Mike Tyson should have been on the list, but failed to make the cut below 25. Moreover, Floyd Mayweather could’ve been placed upwards, too, at least above some of the others.

Both the 58-year-old Brooklyn native and Mayweather combined have secured 100 wins, which is something worthy. But many of the fighters on the list have over 100 wins alone. So, although disappointing, one can’t make too much of a fuss regarding the exclusion. What are your thoughts? Should Tyson have been included?