Worst matchup for Mike TYSON ?

I agree his chin is underrated but Ali's chin is just better. Maybe Tyson could have withstood Frazier's left hook or Shavers' overhand right or the whole kitchen sink from Foreman but I doubt it. Ali was evasive but he was not impossible to hit. I would say that prime for prime Tyson was fundamentally a more sound fighter defensively than Ali, who used his agility to do some very unorthodox things and would occasionally pay the price as he did against Cooper and Frazier. So I don't really buy that he had more defensive options than Tyson.

I think Tyson's advantages were his style, his physical strength, and his defense. Tyson was also a ferocious body puncher whereas Ali head-hunted.

Ali's advantages were his foot and hand speed (but just barely Tyson was very fast and a fast starter), his chin, his heart/recuperative powers, and his ring IQ.

In power I think Ali's power is underrated and Tyson's is sometimes overrated. I think both have the power to stop the other.

Ali also had a habit of underestimating opponents, especially smaller guys. I think it's entirely possible Tyson blitzes him in the first round and drop him. Could beat Ali up for several rounds. Depending on which era and what kind of ref they had could even get a TKO against Ali. But I just can't imagine a scenario where Tyson puts prime Ali (or even Zaire Ali) down for a 10 count. Win a lopsided decision? Absolutely. Get stopped late by Ali? Also a possibility. Ali holds and jabs his way to a controversial decision? Could see that one too.

 

No proof whatsoever of that.

Here comes the error in your judgement.
Foreman never landed clean power punches on Ali.
Frazier only landed once.
Shavers had a couple of good punches, but he never followed up.
Thus Ali appears to have had a much better chin than he actually did.

Agreed.

Agreed again on the first part, but not on the second. Ali could clinch and neutralize opponents that way.

Again, I agree.

Tyson matched Ali in hand speed. And Ali had indeed a great ring IQ.
The heart part is horse****, it's just another cliche used mostly by journalists and so called experts. Heart don't mean jack **** if the other guy is better than you.

70's Ali improved in terms of punching power.
Tyson himself admitted that his power wasn't that great, yet he did a lot of damage due to his speed and precision.

Good, you stated some very possible outcomes. But you rejected the one where Tyson puts him down for a 10 count, which is very possible. Tyson didn't just throw 1 punch at a time, he threw combos. If he manages to land a clean power shot that hurts Ali, it's all over, Tyson will follow up and finish the job.

 

Prime Ali for me

Not that Mike Tyson can't win but Muhammad Ali has everything you'd want in a boxer that can trouble Mike Tyson

 

Foreman and Liston detonate Tyson inside 3 rounds. Ali would do what Buster did to Mike, just worse

 

That does not mean he was taking *performance* enhancing drugs.
The evidence would have been out long ago, given the amount of exposure Tyson always got.

You are generally correct about getting worn down, although not training at all & losing much weight is a bigger handicap.

 

Would be great to see, but old Foreman was soooo much slower, we should not make him nearly a 50-50% proposition.

 

I'm adding Wlad. Tyson would not want to fight him.

 

Not a chance.

 

Holyfield (Bowe 2)
Lewis 2000

 

Prime Ali, prime Foreman, prime Lewis, prime Wlad.

 

Prime Holyfield. He had an iron chin, stamina for days, and the heart of a lion. Tyson wouldn't be able to bully him.

 

Either he was taking recreational drugs, peds, or both. You don't try to cheat on drug tests in a highly competitive sport with millions on the line if you're 100% clean lol