Muhammad Ali vs Mike Tyson

Mr Ali

 

Well 5 rounds trying to avoid the level of punches that Tyson threw back in the late 80's isnt an easy nights work. Not for a second am i suggesting Tyson wins....just making a point that he has a much better chance than many would care to admit

 

Wishy washy answer here, but if Prime Tyson didn't take him out in 3 rounds or less, Prime Ali wins by tko late, maybe championship rounds imo.

 

Also, feel like you nailed it at about 6:36 in about Tyson, "It took more than simply not being intimidated by Tyson to be able to beat him, It took a blend of heart, determination, skills, smarts, and mental fortitude."

 

Ali was still growing, he grew 2/3 inches of reach, and an inch of height or something along those lines, he was still fitting his style.

What makes that even more impressive is he fought Liston right after.

 

I think prime Ali would have a plan to take Tyson into the later rounds and frustrate him, beat him on mental level, so i vote for Ali.

However anything but a very switched on Ali, would for sure have a very hard night in the squared circle against the the wrecking ball that is Tyson.

 

I've said this before in other threads....Ali would win before the fight even started. He'd get into Tyson's head so bad
that Mike wouldn't know if he was coming or going. I can't imagine the poems Ali would come up with, or the names he'd
have for Tyson. And he'd probably do what he did to Foreman...hit him with a big punch IMMEDIATELY after the bell rings.

In any event, great video and breakdown of the fighters' styles and the styles of their opponents.

 

I would be willing to bet there is a reasonably large average age discrepancy between those who pick Ali and those who pick Tyson. The one advantage old geezers like me have is that we saw both fighters during their primes. This doesn't necessarily make us more likely to be correct but it is an advantage.

 

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Young Tyson was a scary dude. Difficult doesn't necessarily imply less certain, however.

 

Tyson was not self-conscious like Foreman or Frazier. He would not be bothered by Ali's school-grade trash talk.

He would call Ali his grilfriend.

 

So long as he doesn't get KO'd first.

 

Muhammad Ali was Mike Tyson's idol. And I think Muhammad had good feelings about Mike. For these reasons, I think this one would surprise a lot of folks, in that there wouldn't be as much trash talking before the fight as might be expected by some.

IMHO, bring them both back, in their primes, with full knowledge of their careers, and time to train properly, schedule it for 12 rounds, and I'd go with Muhammad Ali by decision. And there could have been a few dramatic moments along the way. It would have been a fight for the ages, with both men giving good accounts of themselves.

 

Ali: Knocked on his ass when he was Clay in his 11th fight, against Sonny Banks. Punch was a left hook.

Ali: Knocked on his ass when he was Clay in his 19th fight, against Henry Cooper. Punch was a left hook. Clay needed smelling salts in between rounds was the rumor.

Ali: Knocked around all night by Joe Frazier and knocked on his ass in the fifteenth round. Punch was a left hook.

“Iron” Mike Tyson’s best punch you ask? His left hook.

Ali never truly adapted to this weakness. Early stages of his career through the late ones.

If you watch Ali, even in his prime, he is susceptible to the left hook. History above proves this. It is not hard to fathom that Tyson would be close to, if not the fastest opponent Ali ever faced. Tyson will land on Ali and land left hooks. Tyson hits faster and at least as hard, if not harder, than Sonny Banks or Henry Cooper.

It’s not hard to see a more than a punchers chance for a Tyson victory in my opinion. 60/40 Tyson.