Vs
I must've heard this question a billion times, and I still can't understand how this is still even a question. Here are the only stipulations: Both fighters are in their primes. We'll say Ali around 1965-'66 when he became champion and started his run of title defenses and Tyson around 1986-'87 when he was the first heavyweight of all-time to hold all three WBA, WBC, and IBF titles at the same time.
The answer is clearly Tyson. I can't fucking stand people who argue these two points:
"Oh well Ali could defeat you with his mind, he was intelligent."
-Shut the fuck up. Are you kidding me? Have you heard Mike Tyson speak?? He's the one who would fuck with your mind.
"It was a different era, different fighters. Ali fought tougher competition."
-Then why ask this question in the first place you idiot? It's not Tyson's fault he was better than everyone on earth. By a lot.
Look, Ali might have been quick on his feet, but so was Tyson. No one in history combined speed and power like Tyson. Just watch highlights of this guy, he was an absolute monster. Ali could dance like a butterfly all he wants but Tyson was just as quick and he would no doubt knock his fucking head off. Ali tried toying with Tyson like that and I guarantee he'd get hurt. Yeah Ali is bigger at 6'3 but did that matter to all the other guys Tyson knocked out?
Tyson started his career with 19 knockouts and 12 of them came in the first round. He knocked out Larry Holmes in the 4th round of a fight. Why does that matter? At the end of his career, through 78 professional fights - Holmes had been knocked out 1 time.... And it was by Mike Tyson.
I just don't see a counterargument here. Tyson was the best there was, you put him against anyone and he would just brutally knock them out, didn't matter who you were. In their primes, I just don't see this even being a contest. Tyson via TKO in the 3rd round.
I completely disagree. I don't think Tyson would have a shot against The Greatest. Tyson has lethal punching power, that is without a doubt. But Ali faced people with just as much punching power. As a young, much smaller guy he beat Sonny Liston, a massive slugger. Its debatable whether Ali ever even fought in his prime, since he was banned from boxing for refusing to fight in Vietnam. By the time he came back he was clearly past his prime. And even then, he beat George Foreman, who was probably the most powerful puncher in boxing history.
ReplyDeleteHe didnt beat Foreman by avoiding his punches or being a heavyweight Mayweather, he simply wore Foremans punches until Foreman was too tired to hurt him. Then he knocked him out.
Tyson is a well known psychologically weak fighter. In almost every circumstance, when he couldn't finish a guy quick he mentally broke down. This led to his defeat against far inferior fighters. No one who lost to Buster Douglas while in his prime could possibly beat Ali.
If an old Ali can take round after round of George Foreman cannonballs to the head he could definitely last a few rounds against Tyson. No way Tyson has the skill, stamina, speed, or mental toughness to beat Ali.
I think that entire argument is retarded. Yeah Foreman must have been the hardest hitter in boxing history to just have someone wear his punches for an entire fight until he got tired. Yeah. Sorry no one "wears" repeated shots from Tyson and lives to tell about it. Like how do you even know how mentally strong Tyson was?
ReplyDeleteSorry his antics were a little off because his dad abandoned his family when he was 2, he was arrested 38 times by age 13, his mother died when he was 16, his guardian and trainer D'amato died right when he turned pro and his wife was a slut money grubbing whore.
What are you talking about when was Ali small? He wasn't 6'3" his entire career? How you even comparing Sonny Liston to Tyson? Tyson was insanely fast and had incomparable power. He connects, its lights out.
Using the Buster Douglas fight (way outside the years I listed) is dumb. Shit happened in '90. It is "well known" Tyson was unprepared, didn't train and wasn't taking the trip serious while Douglas was 3 weeks removed and inspired from the death of his mother.
This is why I used those years so you didn't start talking about shit that wasn't in that period. Who cares Ali was a draft dodger - Tyson was in jail for 3 years too. Came out and won fights and bit ears so what? 1986 Tyson beats 1967 Ali. My term of "prime" is when they were at their very best.
How do you say no way Tyson has the skills, speed or stamina - huh? What are you watching when you determine this? Anything I've seen he's faster than Ali and much more powerful. Ali tried to drag fights out, Tyson wanted people dead quick. Video evidence, not shit I heard in a boxing class. #boomroasted