Who's physically stronger in their prime: Muhammad Ali or Mike Tyson?

I’d say Muhammad. He knew about leverage. How to move an opponent at just the right moment. I’m now not sure but I’d be surprised if Muhammad didn’t take some stand up wrestling lessons.

 

Sorry, misinterpreted your question. Still sat say Ali. Ali trained down to weight etc. Tyson was at his limit. If both did weights I’d go for Ali.

 

In upper body, I would say Mike Tyson. In lower body, my guess would be Muhammad Ali.

 

I remember (maybe someone can supply the details) Ken Norton I think once talking about what it was like hitting Ali in the body and how firm and hard he was — I think he likened it to hitting a brick wall or something like that.

Ali was an amazing specimen.

 

Overall probably Ali. I can’t remember where I read this, it was years ago pre-internet, I swear it wasn’t a figment of my imagination, but Vince Lombardi supposedly said Ali had the perfect build for an NFL tight end.

 

Hard to guess who might’ve been stronger in the applications specified - arm wrestling, benching, etc. As per upper body appearance, I could imagine many nominating Mike.

As applied in the ring though, I would say Ali clearly demonstrated the more effective strength - his height and longer limbs also allowing him to employ leverage more effectively.

 

You’re not alone mate. I vaguely recall reading that also.

 

Ali had the perfect legs for boxing mobility and durability. Despite Norton’s upper body, his legs looked like pipe cleaners as compared to Ali’s.

 

Looking at them it’s obvious if we are talking about physical strength.

 

This is the issue, when people ask this question a lot of them time they probably mean who was better at clinching and leveraging? Not who can pick up the heaviest object. George Foreman got man handled by Ali it doesn’t mean anything in the weight room.

 

Tyson may have more punching power, but Ali was stronger if that makes sense, what he shows vs Foreman, Frazier ete.

 

Mike Tyson would smash Ali in lifting weights comparisons. I'd venture that with his short, compact, fast-twitch musculature that he would squat, deadlift, bench, overhead press, Olympic lift and standing bicep curl with an Olympic bar considerably more than Ali. Indeed, Ali was raised in an era where fighters often repeated the age old "lifting weights makes you bulky and slow" and we all know that Ali prided himself on being so fast he could beat the light switch.

However, functional strength to manipulate and/or resist the manipulation attempts of his opponent, leg strength to move around the ring and coordinate his entire body, resistance to body punching and a little old intangible called testicular fortitude, Ali exhibits a strength that Mike's style and punching power didn't require him to show as often as Ali proved.

Semantics - depending on how you interpret the question, you can answer for each and I would agree with you.

 

Spot on. What in the ring feats of strength can one point me to for Tyson? There's plenty for Ali.

 

One could argue that armbar attempts to break arms in the clinch was done exactly because Mike didn't trust his ability to control the physicality of some of his opponents. In fact, the clinch and its pre and post engagements are exactly what cost him versus Evan.