I'd fancy any version of Ali against Tyson because Tyson's kryptonite was that he would win with fear before the first bell went, but lost to guys who were not scared to meet him head-on. Buster Douglas and Holyfield punched through that facade with balls of steel. No heavyweight in history had stones like Ali; he was scared of nobody and certainly would've seen through Mike and his baddest man on the planet shtik. He'd have met him in the middle of the ring, and he would've pushed him back. He wouldn't just win, he'd embarrass him.
Hate to be the person to say this but that wasn't a prime Mike. Sure he was at a prime age and looked in decent condition but not only was he knocked down in sparring against former champ Greg Page he was also hanging out with Japanese prostitutes and sleeping with them the night before the fight. He also left Kevin Rooney who was the last man from the Catskill team 2 fights before, against Frank Bruno. I'm not discrediting Buster Douglas but I'm just trying to get the facts through, that Tyson wasn't at his best that night. That being said, Douglas was virtually unbeatable that night
You wanna go excuse for excuse? Just the day before the fight Douglas had been injected with penicillin to combat bronchitis, the flu and swollen tonsils. Also, the mother of his son had recently been admitted to an American hospital with a potentially fatal kidney ailment. Not to mention his mother died 3 weeks before the fight. Stop with this "not prime Mike" BS. Douglas wasn't 100% either. Better man won on the night.
I'll bite. If it was a mobile, speedy version of Ali, I think I'd take him on points. If its a version of Ali that slows down on his feet that Mike can catch up to, then Mike sends him out horizontally.
Blimey. It's bad enough Mike Tyson has the shortest 'prime' ever with particular timeframes and excuses. His fanboys are even making petty excuses for that period too lol. How about he just simply wasn't that good. He had losses when he was 23, 30, 34 and older. (25 to 28 in prison) He was no Ali put it that way. Any version of Ali beats any version of Tyson, easily. Whole different level of fighter.
When you think about it Mike Tyson has a lot in common with Deontay Wilder Two overhyped, american, big punchers who both only impressed knocking out bums or washed up fighters. Both got handled with when they fought the best. And both have pathetic excuses after their losses. It's just Tyson has the larger 'cult' of casual fanboys.
Only for the losses and subpar performances. When he beat up Trevor Berbick he was partying too, actually he was fighting with gonorrhea he caught from the street wh*re during the coke and liquor infested party. You won't hear anything about "IT WASN'T THE REAL MIKE" stuff for that bout, lol.
Thought you guys might like this. Main Event: Muhammad Ali vs. Mike Tyson This is the fight everyone has been waiting for. Perhaps the number one talked about fantasy matchup in boxing, with the two biggest stars in the history of the heavyweight division going head-to-head. The build-up, the drama, the controversy … everything is on another level as two of the biggest personalities finally square off to see who will stand tall once the dust has settled. Taking a step back, the fighters actually have quite a bit of shared history. While Tyson was in a youth detention centre, he actually met Ali after watching his movie The Greatest. Tyson described this moment in his life as the catalyst that got him into boxing. A young Tyson also used to listen in to calls between his trainer Cus D’Amato and Ali, just to hear what they were talking about. Once Tyson was the champ, both sat on the same couch during the Arsenio Hall show in 1989. When asked by the host who would have won, Ali said he would dance around but when hit he feigned being knocked out. Tyson simply said, “Ali is the greatest of all time.” After Tyson’s loss to Douglas, Ali actually called a boxing journalist and claimed, “Are people now going to stop asking who would have won between us in our primes?” Analysing the tale of the tape, Tyson is significantly shorter by five inches and has a smaller reach by seven inches, with their weight being about even. Ali has never been the hardest hitter and Tyson clearly has the power advantage. Tyson relies on speed and explosiveness, however I can’t see this being too much of an issue for Ali, who is even faster with both hands and feet. Ali also has the better chin, endurance, stamina, ring IQ and heart. The key for Tyson will be to get Ali out of there early. Once the fight is signed, Tyson comes into the press tour full of praise for his opponent, claiming this to be the honour of his career. Ali, on the other hand, is in no such mood, proudly claiming to knock out the little bulldog (the name he coined Tyson with). During interviews, Ali brings along a toy bulldog and punches it in the face, constantly taunting and trying his best to humiliate Tyson at every turn. Coming from the streets of Brooklyn there’s only so much disrespect one can take, and Tyson finally snaps. Things almost come to blows when a pissed off Tyson shouts back that Ali “won’t be pretty after he meets my fists”, then scandalously proclaims that he will make Ali his “little *****” in the ring. Some observers rightfully claim this was a strategy by Ali to get into Tyson’s head and play mind games. Tickets for this super fight sell out in record time. Even though they are priced at a premium, fans have flocked from around the world to the famous Madison Square Garden. All box office records have been broken, with broadcasters clamouring to show the fight. The boxing world is split, struggling to agree on who will win. One thing is for sure, by the time the main event starts the crowd will be at fever pitch. With both fighters in the ring, Tyson stares ahead menacingly, trying to psyche out his opponent. Ali keeps trash talking, with the ref having to tell him to shut up while he gives the final instructions. The fight starts with Tyson coming forward and throwing some hard body shots, following this up with some powerful hooks to the head. Ali is able to slip most of the shots and fires back with some fast combinations of his own. When they tie up Ali continues whispering in Tyson’s ear, infuriating the Brooklyn native. The first few rounds consist of Ali circling Tyson and throwing his fast jab, following it up with three-four punch combos – all straight shots – then gliding out of range. The Greatest’s strategy is pretty clear; with his superior foot speed he is staying just out of range, with his shorter foe struggling to land his hardest shots. By Round Five Tyson is clearly behind and is enraged. He comes flying out of his corner and throws some scary blows. Ali stays a little too long in the pocket and Tyson finally lands a flush left hook, which sends Muhammed crashing into the ropes. He manages to stay upright, grabbing hold of the marauding Tyson and whispering in his ear, “Is that all you got, sucka?” Tyson keeps letting his fists fly, but Ali is too experienced and avoids most of the attacks. At best a glancing blow or two lands, reminding Ali of the power his rival possesses. As the fight progresses Ali has an answer for all of Tyson’s attacks. While they tie up Ali mercilessly taunts him, leans on him and pushes his head down, sapping Tyson of much needed energy. By Round Ten Tyson is pretty deflated. His left eye has swollen closed and a gash above his right eye has opened up, causing blood to pour into his eye. Tyson’s corner is yelling at him to give everything he has. Even though it has been a tough fight, Ali is still dancing around and firing off attacks like it’s the first round. Iron Mike is now getting desperate. Knowing he’s behind on the cards, his punches are becoming wilder, something Ali is happy to take advantage of as he lands a string of shots and knocks Kid Dynamite down for the first time in the fight. Tyson makes the count. The ref takes a very close look but lets the fight continue. Ali comes in and lands another great flurry. The commentators are questioning how Tyson is staying up. Another overhand right from Ali sends Tyson stumbling to the ropes and the ref finally steps in, waving the fight off. The audience are stunned, having witnessed a masterful performance by the Greatest who came into the fight with the perfect game plan and executed it flawlessly. Verdict: TKO win to Ali in Round Ten. Available on Amazon https://bookgoodies.com/a/B0D46RPZ23