I doubt it. Joe Louis is regarded by many to be the best ever puncher in history, and the same is said for Tyson. Ali wouldn't be able to stand and trade with them to get a stoppage. Louis, while not having the strongest chin, had great survival skills and after the Schmeling fight his defense improved even more. I would pick Ali to defeat Louis but he wouldn't knock out Louis. An old almost 40 years old Joe gave Marciano a good fight and couldn't be finished off until the 8th round. Marciano is a dynamite puncher that even Frazier said was better than him. Tyson has a granite chin and even a shot Tyson lasted 8 rounds with one of the strongest and best boxers ever in Lennox Lewis. He wouldn't be koed. While I rank Peak Ali number 1 all time, he gets very over rated. He was far from the unbeatable force everyone sees him as and even before exile he was dropped and nearly stopped by Cooper, and nearly lost in a close decision win over Doug Jones. After his layoff he lost to the best version of Frazier and the argument could be made he lost 2 out of the 3 times against Norton.
I certainly don't see Ali as an 'unbeatable force', but I would bet on him to beat both Louis and Tyson, prime for prime. Ali may get overrated by the general public, but he also suffers from being criminally underrated by many elitist boxing fans who like to dabble in revisionism or simply wish to move away from consensus opinion purely for the sake of moving away in itself.
I stated in my post that I rank Ali number one all time. But to say Ali would send Louis and Tyson, 2 of the greatest heavyweights ever, home early is ridiculous considering Ali wasn't a puncher. Especially the young Ali
There wouldn't be no early stoppage, but Ali would outbox both Tyson and Louis. Louis was far to flat footed and slow to be competitive with a prime ali, and the faster and more athletic Ali would cruise to a Unnamious decision, or possible score a late Tko on accumlation. With Tyson, he is most dangerous inside when he lunges in with a right hand or works his uppercuts. Against Ali, who is far taller and has equal handspeed but better reach, most of his inside work would be spoiled. I see Ali running into trouble with Tyson being so low as Frazier was, and Tyson did duck a lot of punches in his prime, but Ali's staminia and mental toughness has never been in question, whereas the same question can't be said for Mike. It all comes down to whether I believe Tyson can knockout Ali, and I wouldn't favour any heavyweight in history to do so. Ali by late TKO or UD over 15 rounds.
Louis wasn't THAT slow. You don't get 25 straight title defenses while being slow and he knocked out one of the best and fastest Lightheavyweights ever in Billy Conn. I wouldn't call Joe Frazier fast by any means but we all saw what he did with Ali. Louis had better two handed power than Frazier and wasn't as one dimensional. With Tyson, I think he gives Ali all he can handle. I honestly think this is an even fight. Ali could be hit with left hooks and Tyson had one of the best. And unlike Smokin Joe, he had his monster right hand and uppercut to compliment his left hook. He also had a solid jab to set up his punches unlike Frazier. Tyson's chin is also granite and has every advantage over Frazier except heart. Tyson would give Ali more trouble than anyone ever did and I could see one of three scenarios. Ali is able to evade Tyson for the most part, and his speed enables him to win by decision. Tyson lands enough big shots on Ali and drops him to win on decision. Or, and while I wouldn't bet on this Tyson lands a big left hook and finishes off Ali. I'm not saying that you picking Ali to beat Tyson and Louis is wrong, but saying they'd be sent home early is a bold prediction that most likely wouldn't come close to happening.
Louis was not slow. His feet weren't too quick, but he used them well to get in position. As for Louis's handspeed, he threw quick, short, crisp punches. You can argue that he was the greatest combination puncher ever.
Billy Conn was beating Joe Louis until the stoppage came, and Ali is bigger than Billy Conn, just as fast, and arguably more elusive. It's a bad style matchup for the great Joe Louis, and he'd always come out on the losing side. He doesn't have anyway to beat Ali. Even if he lands, he isn't going to knock him out with one shot. That's his best shot in my estimation, otherwise Ali is on the outside popping that Jab and throwing the one-two all night long. I agree. Tyson would give Ali all he could handle, but I don't see Ali being knocked out with a single shot. If he does get hit, he always seems to spoil and save himself from taking anymore punishment. Tyson's chin was not "granite" it was good, but not on the level of Ali's. Tyson wasn't stopped by Douglas because he was exhausted, he was hit by a peach of an uppercut and he was on ***** street. Tyson was wobbled against Bruno, all beit a big punching Bruno, but I don't see Ali getting wobbled or stopped by the same shots. Tyson has a great chin, but not a granite one. Doesn't really come into play anyway, because if Ali gets the stoppage it'll be from the referee stopping it, not Ali knocking Mike out cold. Ali didn't have that sort of shot. I think Ali wins 2/3, but Tyson has a case.
Billy Conn was outboxing Louis but was eventually caught and finished by him. Conn is such a small target and so elusive that it makes him hard to hit. Especially earlier in the fight when you don't know his rhythm. Louis eventually began to get his timing down and finished him off. In the rematch which you didn't mention Conn was utterly destroyed. Louis was a master at timing his oppontents and he would be able to catch Ali. While I pick Ali to beat him, in a three fight series Louis would have a great shot to win at least one. Actually I think the argument can be made that Tyson had the greater chin than Ali. He was never dropped by a single shot unlike Ali against Cooper, Wepner, Frazier if you will. It took massive sustained beatings to put him down against Holyfield and Douglas, who both have considerably more power than Ali. Against Lewis it took everything he had to drop him. Tyson was never wobbled against Bruno, unless you count getting held and then hit full power in the back of the head dozens of times while being a little hurt wobbled. Bruno should of been Disqualifed. Ali would be wobbled just as much as Tyson by this. He was dropped by the far smaller and weaker HENRY Cooper! Ali's heart and recuperative abilities were greater than his chin. Saying Tyson was hit by "a peach of an uppercut" by Douglas that was responsible for knocking him out is the understatement of the year. He was beaten ring post to ringpost for 12 rounds and hit by such an uppercut Tysons head flew back as if shot by a cannon. That uppercut was followed by several more hard shots to put him down. I dont see Tyson getting stopped on his feet against Ali, his stamina was too good at his best and Ali didn't plain hit hard enough like a Holyfield, or Douglas to render him unable to fight back.
I agree that it was accumilation of a steady beating that worn Tyson down in the end...but those shots that ended it were bang on the button and you can clearly see Tysons head spin and rattle...they hurt! And I must correct you on the "getting beaten ring post to ringpost for 12 rounds" simply because there was no 12 rounds. He was KO'd in round 10!!! atsch
