Tyson was never a great fighter. His greatest moment came against Michael Spinks. A clever man like Bonecrusher Smith stayed on his feet untill the end and he nearly knocked out Tyson in the last round. Ali had an iron jaw and was never hurt to his body. He was clever and could adjust to the situation. Ali on KO5.
Ahahahahahahahahaha, bonecrusher nearly knocked hom out in the last round!!!! You made my day!!!! And a 60s ali aint knocking him out in 5. I could see a decision, maybe. But he aint knocking him out in 5....
I think he was badly shaken by a Bonecrusher lucky punch. He was confused and frustrated because he could´nt nail Smith.
Well the thing is that Ali is probably the best competitor the heavyweight divison ever has had. Came back from losses stronger and shocked the world multiple times when he was a underdog. Another thing about Ali was that he didn't often let up against oppponents like Tysons did and I belive that eventually Ali would beat Tyson in a grueling 12 round decision.
Frustrated maybe but def not hurt, or even close to being knocked out, it you rewatch it with no commentary, smith hits him and throws a little flurry of slaps but no effect, tyson comes back straight away looking very steady and strong, but then the round finishes. No where near close to being knocked out or even hurt.
Great fight. Only chance Tyson has is if he can mauever himself with his terrific head movement inside and start throwing those hooks and haymakers from all angles. If he makes contact with any of those power shots, he could put Ali on the ground without a doubt. But Ali had better footwork, an incredible jab (especially the pre-draft version of Ali,) and I'd imagine he'd fight him from the outside and continue to use distance with Tyson to ensure he can't make his way inside the pocket to throw those heavy handed punches. The longer the fight goes, the more in favor I am of Ali winning. I'd say Ali UD in a 15 rounder with Mike. I don't think Ali could knock him out, but I think Tyson would be able to, only if he could catch him within the first 3 rounds. After that, I'd imagine he'd start getting frustrated and Ali would cruise to a UD.
This is one of the more intriguing era vs era matchups, and one of the only half decent arguments for old vs newer. If Ali last more than 6 rounds, I think he could beat Tyson in 15, and there are reasons to think he might. Ali had one of the toughest chins of all time, and was a master of psychological warfare. Tyson was vulnerable when facing someone not afraid of him, which Ali certainly wouldn't have been. Tyson had endurance issues, and would have worn down over time. Still, the only fighter Ali faced with remotely the kind of power of Tyson was Foreman, and he was a different type of fighter. Realistically, its most likely that Tyson would have ko'd Ali in under 6, but I think its possible Ali could have survived and gone on to decision Tyson. All this is assuming bulkier, post comeback Ali. Pre comeback Ali, who was nearly ko'd by Cooper, would be straight up beaten by Tyson.
Tyson would be a victim of his own reputation, with ali smart enough to capitalise on it. Prime 4 prime I dnot think either can really stop the other.
Never mind the fight, imagine post jail Tyson and post exile Ali in a trash talk war! Random reporters were getting under Mike's skin, Ali might have sent him to an asylum before they made it to the ring!
Gotta pick Ali. The reach advantage would neutralise Tyson who did struggle against taller fighters. Tyson's power was unbelievable though .
Ha ha, that's a pretty funny thought. On the note of mental games though which I've seen mentioned a lot as well as myself. Thinking about it more though I don't think Ali would of gotten to Tyson that much when he was at his best. Tyson always he admitted he had fear going into the ring like any sane person but in his prime that also would of been countered by his arrogance about being unstoppable which everyone around him told him. I also think having Rooney in his corner and the right people which he had at the time would work wonders with keeping him focused and relaxed as opposed to when King took over. All speculation of course but I think the Tyson after the Douglas defeat was a lot more fragile mentally and even more so after Prison. Also recently I watched many of his earlier fights again and was pretty amazed at Tyson's speed. I think he was actually faster at 19 than he was when he became champ. Some of his combinations were just so damn fast it's unheard of for a fighter with his build and power. Anyways Ali is the type of fighter that would give Tyson issues or any tall fighter with a good jab and a good chin. I will always maintain though on the other hand that he'd beat any inside fighter or slugger that I've seen. I know Joe's son Marvis wasn't quite his father but he does fight in a similar style and man did Tyson destroy him fast (30 seconds with two brutal uppercuts). I really can't imagine Joe lasting that long against Tyson. I think it would be much quicker than it took Foreman to take him out. Tyson versus Foreman would be an awesome match to behold though to see who would come out on top, love to see that.
