It's a generational thing. Everybody has heard of both but people over 50 will instinctively say Ali.
It's to do with how famous they got at their peak. Ali was world famous in a way that Tyson never managed. Lots of reasons for it outside of the ring. Olympics, Liston, Vietnam, Civil Rights, Malcolm X and Nation of Islam but even more than that the charisma of the man himself. Tyson was infamous and certainly his fame transcended boxing, but in my view he never reached the heights of fame that Ali did. In part because heavyweight boxing wasn't as high profile as it was in the sixties and seventies.
Tyson was already extremely famous before all the shenanigans purely for his boxing ability. Ali is slightly more famous but he became that famous for stuff out of the ring. Tyson is the most famous boxer ever purely on boxing ability and style, and deservedly so. He's the most entertaining fighter ever.
I'd say they are virtually equally famous. I don't think there's anyone in the world who knows who Ali is but doesn't know Tyson.
If we went on to the street and asked 1000 people to give the name of two heavyweight champs 900 would say Ali and tyson
Ali overall but time has weakened his hand. Tyson also seems to be the more go to pop culture reference these days.
I would go with Ali. Both are famous outside of the ring, but I think Ali is more so. Tyson was known for his destructive life, Ali is known for more wide ranging things. For anyone just getting into boxing, Ali maybe someone you hear of before Tyson. He is rated better P4P and took part in more significant big fights. Ali also comes near the top, or sometimes even first in 'Top Sports People' polls and lists, so this can often keep someone's name relevant in the minds of non boxing fans. Another poster mentioned something about you pick the person you grew up with. I suppose, then, it might be best to ask millenials who they think is the more famous as they would have grown up after both had long retired.
Most people think of the name Mike Tyson or his image when boxing is brought up, different times and eras. Mike Tyson has been alive and involved in boxing or around it for 4 decades and has a live podcast he has generational fans from the more advanced social media which makes him a world wide known sports or controversial figure and his popularity is still growing , Video games, movies, broadway shows , cartoons ,you tube channel, etc, I don’t know how it’s not Tyson. Modern fans know more about the ear bite to Holyfield then Alis fights with Frazier , maybe at one time Ali had the edge but the older and younger fans give Tyson the wider audience if we are combining all the fans of who’s alive nowadays.
