Could have Mike Tyson reigned as champion for 3 years in the 1960's ?

Sure. For the entire decade, possibly.

 

Only if Rooney was around, apparently. He seems to have been unbeatable with Rooney, but quite average without him.

 

Not for me. I'm not convinced he'd beat the start of the 60's Liston then we have a fast emerging Ali.

Ali was stripped April 67 i believe so by the time the formalities were over there'd be under 3 years left.

Depending on how you see him and Frazier going he could well exceed 3 years after Ali was stripped if we enter into the 70's as well.

 

He would have been champ the entire decade. Apart from Liston, there was nobody good enough to challenge him.
And Liston was around 40 years old in the early 60's.

 

Don't tell me you're a nonbeliever that Rooney made a huge difference?

 

Yeah Ali would be a non entity.

 

Ali even at his peak was not good enough to challenge him? That is an extreme & untenable statement; especially given the differential in skills...Of their psychological tactics.

Also, I see no reasonable evidence that Liston was born before 1930.

 

What fight do you think Ali was at his peak? Cleveland Williams? The Liston rematch? Just curious.

 

Call me a heathen.

But if Rooney made such a huge difference, one must know if Rooney is in the picture or not in a scenario like this one.

 

Here's the thing. Tyson becomes champ very quick (with Rooney besides him). So Ali has to fight his way up in order to challenge him. By that time (let's say 64-65), Tyson will have been even better than he was in 88, and that's cause he'd have retained all his physical attributes, and he'd be very experienced and better technically than he ever was.
On the other hand, the 60's Ali will only have to rely on his physical attributes. And although those were tremendous, he also had many weaknesses and wasn't a very good fighter technically cause he lacked proper fundamentals. In the 70's he was experienced enough to resort to dirty tactics, to clinch and hold his opponents and was also more durable to getting hit.
He did't have all those in the 60's, while Tyson is even better than he was in the 80's. That's why I say nobody can challenge Tyson.

 

You rat ******* heathen. Of course Rooney would be available here. If not then we'll just use good ol' Cus himself.

Sound good, heathen?

 

I agree. Ali didn't face the best guys during his first foray as champ in the 60's now did he?! A "controversial" Liston rematch, Cleveland Williams post bullet ridden body, Terrell, an old Zora Foley...not a great line of challengers there.

 

Likely Williams. Only reason to doubt that was the limitation of Williams, though Ali was so sharp.
But it had to be '66-'67. Ali was great against Liston-the rematch was so quick & circumstances suspicious so i can never pick that match.
But I think a little later he had acquired even more expeirence & had developed a little more while still remaining in his absolute physical prime.