How could Tyson's post exile comeback have been as successful as Ali's?

Bottom line, Tyson wasn’t made of the same stuff as Ali.

That’s all there is to it.

 

I get what you are saying, but who was the best guys Tua and Ibeabuchi ever beat? I can’t afford either of those two a win over a declining Tyson this side of his loss to Lewis. Botha, Golota, Nielsen, Norris, Bruno and Seldon. Tuna and ibeabuchi didn’t have wins like that.

 

So you think Tuna would be swimming upstream chok?

 

Ibeabuchi beat Byrd who is better than 96 Bruno, Seldon, Nielsen, Norris and Golota and Botha.

 

Byrd aint better than Golota. Watch their actual fight. Golota got robbed so bad he should've stayed in bed!!

 

As impossible as it may have been, replace Holyfield with Foreman. Had Foreman signed with King this would obviously be better in the long run for Mike. Then fight Moorer to unify followed by Akinwande, Holyfield, Morrison, Bowe and Lewis.

These are the matches Tyson had lined up. He wanted to emulate his 80's unification tournament opposition. Collect the belts then make mega fight after mega fight.

Wishful thinking on my part...

 

I'm very doubtful about Tyson's post-exile success even like this, let alone be as successful as Ali.
1. beat Bruno again in Bruno's last career fight
2. beat Seldon who I don't understand how he was champion next to: Lewis, Holyfield, Foreman, Bowe, Moorer,... without beating any of them

 

I also think they would be much bigger. 70-80%?

 

I'm not sure he would make it past Bowe, either.

 

Neither of their styles were made for longevity but Ali got further on grit and guile.

 

Bowe fought Golota in 96, he took a tremendous amount of punishment and looked even more washed up than Tyson at this point. I'd favor 96 Mike here.

 

BINGO!
Sometimes too much is made of Tyson's aggresiveness and punching power to explain his amazing pre jail run. But what really made Tyson unique was his blinding speed and agility.
Tyson's boxing style was not for the long run. Jail or not jail, as soon as Tyson slowed down a bit he would lose his edge.

 

Tyson’s heart was never in the sport post prison. He also didn’t have the body type to age well at Heavy. Once the spring left his legs by age 30 it was always going to be tough to carve out a great second legacy. Throw in the fact Don King could give a crap about legacy and always only about the easiest way to make himself a buck Tyson was doomed from the start.
Tyson’s legs weren’t the same, his cardio was poor, his head movement gone, and his punchers were wider and telegraphed.
The aura of Mike Tyson far outlived the performance of Mike Tyson. His camp and King new it. His entire return was terrible -
Peter Mcneely was a joke of a fight. If Tyson wanted better credibility this should have been the path
First fight - throw a boatload of money at Michael Moorer. Moorer was a head case whose confidence was shot after Foreman in 1994. He was also way too stationary and physically weak to stand up to Tyson. It’s a very winnable fight for Mike even being his first fight out of Prison. He knocks Moorer out - and it puts massive pressure on Foreman to fight Mike next.
2. Don’t fight Foreman next continue to build back with a filler fight while anticipation grows for Foreman fight
Instead face Axel Schulz - if he had just been robbed in Foreman fight. Schulz was durable and decent but couldn’t pinch. Mike gets in some rounds before either stopping him or winning wide on points.
3. Fight Bruno collect the wbc belt
4. Fight Foreman (hopefully) because it’s a mega bout or Briggs if he has the lineal and had beaten Foreman.
5. Fight Holyfield - hopefully the better fights and dedication help Tyson win. Win lose or draw retire.
Moorer
Schulz
Bruno
Foreman / Briggs
Holyfield

Much better run than
Mcneely
Mathis
Bruno
Seldon
Holyfield

I think objectively speaking - if this route was even possible it probably wasn’t- but I think this is the best post prison route of winnable matches for Mike. But if he ran that table Foreman, Moorer, Holyfield.
Then retired or maybe lost but didn’t hang on into the 2000s as a shell of himself he’d have people putting him in the big 3 with Ali and Louis

 

Tyson didn't have cardio to beat Ibeabuchi or in-shape Tua. Prime Mike would beat them, 1995-97 version might have had a decent chance, especially against smaller and less-dimentional Tua. But 1999 onwards - no chance in hell. That version of Tyson was 3-rounds fighter at best. And 2001 and later he declined even more, he was even like 15 lbs overweight against Nielsen and Lewis. It was shot version of Tyson that wouldn't stand a chance even against fat, lethargic version of Tua