Who was the greater physical phenomen in his respective prime? Tyson or Ali?

Tyson aside from height he had everything .

 

I find Ali the least plausible of the two if not the less remarkable all round package.

If neither of them existed you would have more trouble convincing me that Ali could exist than that Tyson could exist.

 

Ali's SPEED and the way he moved was most remarkable. There's no fighter close to his size who's similar to him as he was at his peak. His handspeed is "other-wordly"

I think Tyson being 19 with that physique and that level of skill was what made him seem so freakish.

 

Stronger chin? Ali always had the better chin.

 

Not neccessarily, he always had the stronger will and recooperative ability. But he was dropped often by shots Tyson took flat out.

 

Think Ali got a better chin perhaps in the 70's. I dont see how the Small 190 pound Ali could beat Foreman.

 

190 pound Ali? What?

 

The way to look at it is this.

You travel back to 1955 and meet a fight fan of the period who asks you to describe some of the great fighters from later eras.

Who is going to sound less plausible?

There was this guy who was like a combination of Jack Dempsey and Joe Louis. He was stylisticaly verry similar to Jack Dempsey with the same go for broke style but bigger. About the same size and build as Sam McVea. His hand speed and power were similar to those of Joe Louis.

Certainly plausible.

There was this other guy who was like a 6' 3'' 210 lb version of Jimmy Slatterey but much faster. His hand speed and reflexes and foot movment were faster on film than those of Sugar Ray Robinson.

He aint buyin it.

 

Power - outright physical and punch power goes to Tyson, with zero doubt.

In reality, you didn't do that bad of a job defining the two in your own first paragraph.

I'd give the edge to Tyson, but only concerning that which I mentioned.

 

Ali was 210 vs Liston. He was fighting around 212 right before exile and i think this Ali would have boxed rings around Foreman without the rope a dope.

 

Perhaps, but I think Foreman would still nail Ali at some point.

 

Ali took a lot of huge punches in Zaire, and i really don't think the odd one just pre exile is going to worry him. Ali was 216 vs Foreman and 212 vs Frazier a bit prior, he was no bigger than in 1967. His chin would be no different, if anything his legs would be even stronger back earlier.