Mike Tyson on fighting Muhammad Ali

I do think he would clown him. There is literally nothing to be afraid of if you're a prime Ali. This little 5'10 guy with midget arms simply isn't going to get in range to land anything, and even if he did..........ali took a shavers right hand to the jaw and waved him on saying "that's it?"

 

And when he fought Foreman,Foreman said I was punching him that hard to the Body my fists were sore,and Ali kept saying "Is that all you got George" I was privileged to have seen this Man fight in a Heavyweight era we may never see the likes of again.!!!!!!

 

Yes, Tyson didn't like to go the distance, but not many do when you are fighting at such a pace early on...especially when you tend to be at a disadvantage size wise.


OK, so lets look at the Douglas fight. Did you ever view my thread about how bad Tyson was going into the Douglas fight?
If not, I can post it up for you.

Now take all that, and it still took a 6'4, 230 pound Douglas to knock Tyson out in the 10 round despite landing bomb after bomb...combination after combination...on a stationary poorly trained Tyson. And Douglas had some power according to McCall. Even Holyfield mentioned how he was cautious of Douglas Jab after seeing Douglas drop an opponent with it.

That said, given Ali said he would wait until the 10th to go after Tyson (who he would assume is tiring), Yes...it's the right strategy. Absorb the punishment, make Tyson work, and go after him in the later part of the fight when he is more likely to want to slow down the pace, box, and clinch.

But if you are going to knock him out...you better be prepared to beat the living **** out of him because that's what it takes.

 

I see where your coming from,and no disrespect to Tyson,he was 24 and Primed against Douglas who at the time was 30 Douglas survived (just) the early onslaught and the rest is history.!!!

 

True Power and Fighting: We know Speed is a Great Power. It's not how hard you punch, but your ability to land the punch. And not just once, but more than once. And not just with the punch you think you are going to be hit with, but by the punch you don't see coming. It's that timed punch. Getting to the target before the opponent can brace himself. Or hitting him when you have made him miss and you counter him. Hitting him with a punch he doesn't see coming. Sure, you blocked one of my punches, but you aren't prepared for this one over here that is coming so fast behind the other one but at a different angle and from a different hand.

That's truly why Tyson was so effective during his years with Rooney and why he wasn't so effective against someone like Ruddock, who although got battered, was able to prepare himself better for what was coming his way.

read the S.I. article with quotes from Futch about why Tyson wasn't as effective anymore. I can post it up if you want.

Shavers is a big puncher but is slow, isn't that great of a boxer, and doesn't set up punches like Tyson. Same with Foreman. You know what's coming your way and it tends to be just the one shot. So even if you get hit, you can brace yourself. Of course, when Foreman hits you, eh...he can still knock you dead. But with Ali, it didn't work.

Fighters that put punches together are more dangerous. Tyson said so himself...even when it comes to Power.

 

In addition, Tyson barely trained for Douglas. He was mentally nowhere near the animal who racked up 24 fights in one year. The Tyson who smashed Tyrell Biggs who in Tyson's imagination, robbed Tyson of his chance to compete in the Olympics (Tillman I know but Tyson was psyching himself), would easily have disposed of Douglas.

 

That's one Advantage I see that Ali would have over Mike. He's the king of Physiological Warfare. Even as intimidating and ferocious mike is, I find Ali would focus a lot of his energy on pre-fight fiascoes & shenanigans to put off mike mentally.

As evidenced by his current condition Ali had the ultimate will. I just feel with Tyson once you get past that mental barrier (when Douglas got up) he wouldn't try anymore. I hate referencing to this fight because Tyson fans give me hell about his conditioning, mental state as such. Chuvalo had Ali's kidney's bleeding, Norton broke his jaw, Frazier made him urinate blood who's to say that Ali cannot whether the storm for 10 rounds? Muhammad finished strong in the Championship rounds/later rounds. Amongst all of Ali's gifts his speed, stamina, reflexes, power his will is what ultimately made him great.

What Douglas did was like lighting in a bottle.
Can't ever be replicated.

I see where you're coming from though Caelum.

 

Tyson was on the decline. It doesn't matter about age.

If you don't train properly, live your life accordingly, get your ass kicked against someone that is.

 

that's why it depends on who is around Tyson. It was said that Tyson is as strong mentally as the people around him. He fed off them. Even Jose Torres mentioned how Tyson started to talk and act just like Cus. And if you look at how he started to act around when he was with King...you get the sense it was true.

So let's just say he had someone like D'Amato around since we may be putting this fight in Ali's era.

D'Amato would have to made Ali the enemy. Maybe even just a Clown with a Mouth. Laugh at him. Forget intimidation; just laugh at him.

Tyson actually talked less and was calm during his years with Rooney. He said he kept his words to himself because he was full of confidence...as if to say..Yeah...you know what's coming to you.

Little side note: I read Cus used to have Tyson go to a therapist? A hypnotist. I think Cus would even sit in speak.
Interesting stuff. Not sure on the details. It was all about building him up mentally as a fighter.

Talk about training somebody to be a killer.


This changed when he no longer was prepared to fight. That's when he truly relied on his past reputation.



Ali's stuff wasn't that great. I still maintain the right person could have shut him down from that perspective.

 

I read that Tyson used the hypnotist because he lost confidence in his right hand from using his left hook so much.

The result:

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Not sure.

Just read that D'Amato took him to a hypnotist, I think starting as a teen.


EDIT...damn, what a little google search does


http://www.eastsideboxing.com/forum/showthread.php?t=338294

Not what I was looking or but good enough.

http://articles.nydailynews.com/200...03_1_tyson-lewis-fight-cus-d-amato-tyson-bout

 

Why are we debating I think Mike got it right in the Video,I think Tyson new he was suspect when his fights went into later rounds against Class opponents,and even he knows the only way he could beat Ali was knock him out,and thats something that never happend to Ali in the Greatest Heavyweight era ever,no way Tysom TKOs Ali and thats the only way he could possibly win the fight.!!!!

 

Always like this article on Tyson

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/vault/article/magazine/MAG1139899/index.htm

 

Ali never fought someone like Tyson and Tyson never fought someone like Ali. Not exactly.

Even in that "greatest era," how many of those fighters were truly athletic? how many could move fast with their feet?

How many could put combinations together with speed, precision, and power?

many things to discuss about why it isn't quite so easy to say one guy wins no problem.

 

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"Mike Tyson is too ugly to become champion. He's got gold teeth. He's got bald spots all over his head. I used to call Joe Frazier "The Gorilla" but next to Tyson, Joe is a beautiful woman!"