Before this starts Just keep in note that styles make up fights and mike tysons style has the advantage swarmer > outboxer. I genuinely don’t want you guys to be biased and automatically say Ali, just because he’s Ali. Muhammad Ali is going up against a way tougher, skilled opponent than Joe Frazier and Ken Norton. Muhammad Ali Admitted that Ken Norton won the 3rd fight. But it generally doesn’t mean much. Can Muhammad Ali defeat the fast and explosive head movement of Tyson. Will Tyson brute force his way into Ali? Will Ali’s skills be enough for the explosive Tyson? Will Tyson’s power not be enough, since Ali managed to take punches by George Foreman who hits harder than Mike Tyson? What do you guys think.
Ali wins. Ali never got knocked out and he did fight a lot of very dangerous fighters and none of them did. And I don’t see Tyson beating Ali on points.
Ali was past prime against Frazier and Norton. '66-'67 Ali was prime. He'd look like a damn bunny on the back foot constantly against Tyson, but that version of Ali was incredible at that and could score KD's while moving backwards. I think he'd show us another recipe to beat Tyson that we didn't see -- how a mover could beat him. I suspect Ali would look a bit ridiculous dancing around and on the back foot for 6-7 rounds tiring Tyson out, and then start moving in for the kill. I predict it eventually ending with one of those 20+ punches in the span of 2 second flurries he used to finish opponents with in that era. It isn't hero worship (in fact, I think later on Ali got some gift decisions; I think he lost all three fights to Norton, at the best I'd say he went 0-2-1 against Norton). I just have yet to see any heavyweight who I think could beat '66-'67 Ali. And the Ali taken from the night of the Williams fight? Nobody is touching that guy.
The GOAT wins a tough fight where he has to climb off the canvas In a 15 rounder? Ali late too 12 rounder? Ali points Tough fight though
Tyson fought many fighters like Ali and destroyed them, Ali never fought anyone remotely like Tyson. Tyson wins.
What do you mean Ali didn't fight anyone like Tyson!?!? He fought the person with the exact same style Tyson when he fought Floyd Patterson (they were both trained by Cus D'Amato), TWICE! Please do your research before you make posts, especially on one involving many people's GOAT (albeit not my GOAT). If Ali can avoid the lightning fast hands of Patterson (and beat his peak-a-boo style) and take the punishment of George Foreman then I don't see how a prime Ali could lose.
The Floyd Patterson that weighed 25lb less than Tyson, the less powerful, less skilled fighter than took Ali 12 rounds to get rid of?
Mike was 25 pounds heavier, so what? He took Foreman's punches, so I see no reason why Tyson should hurt him too bad (I said that in the original post if you read). And he doesn't need to knock out Tyson, just outbox and outscore him
Ali plays ping pong with Mike's head. Before the fight. Seriously though, the Ali of the Williams fight and around that time doesn't miss a beat and comfortably outpoints Tyson....I think FOC Frazier beats Mike also.
Tyson is a combination of Patterson's style and fast hands with near-Foreman level power. That's a deadly combo.
Muhammad Ali is incredibly overrated, but I think his skills, speed and most importantly, his stamina, would make the difference and win. Late stoppage.
Ali's best asset was his chin. I honestly think that there is a case for his chin being the best chin ever. Arguably, ofc. I don't see Ali getting KO'd, and I dont see Tyson outpointing Ali. So Ali UD. Ali's parkinson would have appeared some years earlier than it did, though, had this fight happened.
Tyson, most especially if both have not much data on each other yet. Prime Tyson was a beast, very quick, very explosive, very elusive.