Muhammad Ali vs Mike Tyson - In their prime who would win??

This is a Blog post that is close to my heart......

"All the time he's boxing, he's thinking. All the time he was thinking, I was hitting him." - Jack Dempsey - World Heavyweight Champion from 1919 to 1926 - This quote perfectly illustrates the Technique vs Power debate that continues through-out boxing circles...... and a debate that I hope to solve with the following!.....

So!..........Muhammad Ali vs. Mike Tyson...... In their prime who would win??

TYSON! ......Obviously............But why?

Muhammad Ali was a great champion.......... possibly the greatest of all-time.... he was indisputably the first three-time lineal Heavyweight champion in history; wining in '64 against Sonny Liston, '74 against George Forman and '78 against Leon Spinks.......... those credentials speak for themselves.... and something else that cant be overestimated is Ali's cultural impact, which also helped feed his own legacy, he is 'easily' the most loved and widely respected sportsman of all time.... beating Michael Jordan, Babe Ruth, Pele, Maradonna, Tiger Woods, Wayne Gretsky, Michael Schumacher BlahBlahBlah......

 It could be argued that Ali's prime of fighting was between 1965 and 1967, as at this point in his career he was giving some of his most emphatic victories .......some believed he was unbeatable.... and I agree that there was no boxer AT THAT POINT IN TIME that could of matched his pace, agility, power, reactions and heart.... but lift Mike Tyson out of 1986; after his run of 25 wins no losses, you would of seen Ali; the greatest of all time, taken to pieces inside 3 rounds!!

My first piece of evidence to bolster this theory is Tyson’s record up to his 25th fight against Marvis Frazier..... (Who Tyson knocked unconscious with an uppercut inside 20 seconds of the first round), 23 out of the 25 fights came by way of KO and 15 of those 23 KOs came in the 1st ROUND! Fck ME!! He was the single most ferocious boxer to EVER step into the ring! No comparisons! No arguments!..... Many of Ali's supporters suggest that Ali's height and reach advantage would of allowed him to escape Tyson’s blows.... well that’s what Mitch Green thought, until he was given a 10 round pasting at the hands of Tyson in 1986; despite the fact Mitch green was 3 inches taller than Ali, Tyson still managed to knock out greens gold tooth during the fight!

Another factor that isn’t often discussed, is the cultural and economic advantages Mike Tyson had over Ali, Mike Tyson was a product of a more advanced and ruthless training regime PLUS he was genetically predisposed to being a fighter; Ali stood in contrast to many boxers of his era because he WASNT from an impoverished background... he had a financial advantage over a lot of boxers of the 50's, 60's and 70's.... many of which only boxed to make ends-meet... this did work against Ali to some degree as he didn’t have the pent-up aggression and past history of street fighting that many other boxers possessed and regularly draw on; mainly out of necessity or survival - Tyson WAS however from a very poor background and did suffer at the hands of bullies and thieves until he fought back.... this exposure to REAL violence gives Tyson far more of a psychological edge over Ali; and Tyson WOULD of exploited this in the ring.

....... Tyson was a Master of the Psyche 'Out! he would retain eye contact with his opponent as soon as he climbed into the ring until the bell.... and then he would go to work, knowing he had the mental advantage.... because people were SCARED of him!... People didn’t fear Ali; they simply respected his superior ability..... Tyson was an ANIMAL! Like being in the ring with a wild bull.... there was no-where to hide between the ropes...... you were going to get hurt!

'THE ROPE-A-DOPE!! ...... That’s it! That’s how Ali would beat Tyson!'.......erm.....No Mate...that’s BULL-SHIT!............

It’s very true that Ali used the Genius strategy of tiring out George Forman by leaning against the ropes in 1974, absorbing his blows and clinching where-ever possible..... Great Strategy! But if he did that against Tyson..... He would have had broken ribs almost immediately!.... Tyson’s strength and Punching power was compounded by his SUPREMELY strong mid-section, the additional strength from his twisting motion teamed with the explosive power in his legs made him one of the hardest, fastest and most accurate punchers the Heavyweight division has every seen...... if Ali ALLOWED Tyson to hit him, he'd be on the canvas very quickly.

Muhammad Ali was certainly one of the Greatest Boxer's in History, he was a fast and nimble heavyweight with a spectacular leading jab and immense power and accuracy; he was a finely tuned sportsman who was conditioned to the highest levels in his prime. But even the 'Greatest' would have fallen to the More Powerful, More Aggressive and visceral competitor; Tyson was bred for fighting and his experience of street fighting as a child gave him the ferocity and love of violence that would of given him the psychological edge over the calm and collected Ali.

..... Oh YH! .... One more thing....... Ali and Tyson were both guests on The Arsenio Hall Show in the late 80's, and Arsenio asked Ali directly 'Who would have won between you and Mike in your prime?' (As Tyson was IN his prime at the time of asking)........ And the loud-mouthed, publicity grabbing, self-promoting, SELF-Labelled 'The Greatest of All Time' said...... 'Mike.....'... And pointed to Tyson.

Till Next Time, Bizal

RBXXI