Muhammad Ali vs. Mike Tyson

dabluzman1

Veteran Expediter
Retired Expediter
So who was the better boxer in their prime...Ali or Tyson?

I dont think anyone was better than Ali. At least the predraft dodge Ali. While was very good after his lay-off, he wasnt the same.
In his prime, I'd take Ali every time.


I'm the king of the world, I am the greatest, I’m Muhammed Ali, I shook up the world, I am the greatest, I'm king of the world, I'm pretty, I'm pretty, I'm a baaaad man, you heard me I'm a baaad man, Archie Moore fell in four, Liston wanted me more, so since he's so great, I'm a make him fall in eight, I'm a baaad man, I'm king of the world! I'm 22 years old and ain’t gotta mark on my face, I'm pretty, I easily survived six rounds with that ugly bear, because I am the greatest.
:D
 

layoutshooter

Veteran Expediter
Retired Expediter
I dont think anyone was better than Ali. At least the predraft dodge Ali. While was very good after his lay-off, he wasnt the same.
In his prime, I'd take Ali every time.


I'm the king of the world, I am the greatest, I’m Muhammed Ali, I shook up the world, I am the greatest, I'm king of the world, I'm pretty, I'm pretty, I'm a baaaad man, you heard me I'm a baaad man, Archie Moore fell in four, Liston wanted me more, so since he's so great, I'm a make him fall in eight, I'm a baaad man, I'm king of the world! I'm 22 years old and ain’t gotta mark on my face, I'm pretty, I easily survived six rounds with that ugly bear, because I am the greatest.
:D


It is always fun to wonder who was the best at something. I would go along with the Ali idea.
 

aristotle

Veteran Expediter
Ali was incredible. I am struck by how fierce Tyson could be in the ring. I don't have the statistics, but seem to remember Mike Tyson had several first-round knockouts to his credit. Some within the first minute. Tyson was much smaller than Ali, but Tyson had a ferocious bite, according to Evander Holyfield.

Of course, Tyson's first-round knockouts could be attributed to the caliber of opponents he ws facing. Or, he was just that good.
 

nightcreacher

Veteran Expediter
Ali would frustrate Tyson.two intirely different types of fighters.
Always moving, dancing boxer Ali, would slip the power shots of Tyson.Ali by decision,in the 12th
 

aristotle

Veteran Expediter
Ali would frustrate Tyson.two intirely different types of fighters.
Always moving, dancing boxer Ali, would slip the power shots of Tyson.Ali by decision,in the 12th

I think you're probably correct, NC. The one big weapon in Tyson's arsenal was brute strength measured in ft/lbs delivered to an opponent's jaw.

Ali had power, but lots of smarts, ring savvy and finesse. If Ali survived the first round with Tyson, I suspect Ali would have won.
 

dabluzman1

Veteran Expediter
Retired Expediter
For shear brute strength it would be a hard choice between Tyson and Foreman.
For ferocity, I would pick Frazier.
But in boxing nothing is more deadly than a good fighter with speed.
Ali had it all, strength, stamina, speed, heart and skill. It was the speed that was unusual for man of his size that sets him apart
from other great fighters.
 

greg334

Veteran Expediter
There is another factor involved - the mental factor.

Ali could control himself and stay focused, he wasn't as good as a fighter as many think, he was a quick thinker which made up for some of his other issues he had in the ring.

but tyson was not by any means self anything, he was always a mess and still continues to be a mess.

When his trainer died, D'Amato, he fell apart. D'Amato got Tyson to use his anger and frustration by focusing on his opponent and releasing that energy at the right time, which no one else could that.

The thing is, Ali would have beaten Tyson.
 

dabluzman1

Veteran Expediter
Retired Expediter
Ali could control himself and stay focused, he wasn't as good as a fighter as many think, he was a quick thinker which made up for some of his other issues he had in the ring.

We are the sum of all our parts.
To say Ali wasnt a good a fighter as many think because of whatever the reason doenst make sense.
In anything you accent the positive and conceal the negative to overcome.
That in itself is a dynamic that can make an average player an all star. They play bigger than they are, it is a quality that can and often does overcome the more physically gifted.
It doesnt reduce success.
It a integral part of the formula.
What some trivialize may be the very reason why another is great.
 

Pilgrim

Veteran Expediter
Retired Expediter
Tyson's problem was that he didn't like to get hit. Ali would have hit him a lot, frustrated him with his sheer speed and athletic ability and probably KO'd him in less than eight rounds. I agree with Nightcreacher that Tyson-Frazier would have been a more interesting matchup. But here again, Frazier was the more skilled boxer and would have prevailed there also. Tyson looked pretty good against weak competition, but if he had been boxing in Ali's era he probably wouldn't have done much better than Oscar Bonavena. Boxing used to be a great sport, but now it's just a joke.
 
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