***proof that Ali would have beaten tyson***

[SN!PER]

It might've been a close fight, but only if Tyson fought at the very top of his game and refused to get frustrated. Tony Tucker was able to survive 12 rounds with Tyson, no way a prime Ali with master footwork and lightning jabs would be easy for Tyson to hit with his shorter reach. There was just no one in HW boxing during the 80s (or since) possessing reflexes and intuitive fighting style like Ali.

[Rassclot]

Because he was clearly slower and his reflexes were not nearly as good and which win other then Foreman is bigger then the Liston I win ?.

Prime refers to a boxer being at his best, Ali was not at his best past 70 even though the majority of his best wins are there.

you mean the guy that almost got KOed by a 190lb henry cooper?

Ali before was faster but he was also more antsy and never sat down on his punches and his chin was shakier due to not fully grown into his frame. A young, lighter Ali that got dropped by Henry Cooper was only 200 lbs and would've been stretched out cold by prime Tyson.

Tyson vs Spinks 2.

[Rassclot]

It might've been a close fight, but only if Tyson fought at the very top of his game and refused to get frustrated. Tony Tucker was able to survive 12 rounds with Tyson, no way a prime Ali with master footwork and lightning jabs would be easy for Tyson to hit with his shorter reach. There was just no one in HW boxing during the 80s (or since) possessing reflexes and intuitive fighting style like Ali.

tony tucker was 6'5 and 240 lbs. Ali was 210 lbs. huge size difference. huge.

Ali would be the same size as Michael Spinks.

[NChristo]

you mean the guy that almost got KOed by a 190lb henry cooper?

Ali before was faster but he was also more antsy and never sat down on his punches and his chin was shakier due to not fully grown into his frame. A young, lighter Ali that got dropped by Henry Cooper was only 200 lbs and would've been stretched out cold by prime Tyson.

Tyson vs Spinks 2.

No, I mean the Ali which beat Liston till 67' .

Tyson couldn't knock out a James Tillis who was a poor version of Ali but he is going to beat him like the Spinks' fight , sure, whatever you say.

[Die Antwoord]

It's been pointed out that Ali was dropped by lesser hitters than Tyson. True statement. But it was rare, and Ali was never even close to being out in any of those contests.

Uhh...Ali wasnt close to being out in the Cooper fight? He staggered to his corner, saved by the bell, Dundee clearly thought he was out since Dundee bragged in his book abotu saving Ali by ripping his glove...if he wasnt close to being out why was he given smelling salts? Why did he get up from his corner after 10 seconds and try to fight Dundee....he was totally out till the illegal smelling salts. Cooper knocked him sideways...tyson would have kileld him.

[CubanGuyNYC]

Uhh...Ali wasnt close to being out in the Cooper fight? He staggered to his corner, saved by the bell, Dundee clearly thought he was out since Dundee bragged in his book abotu saving Ali by ripping his glove...if he wasnt close to being out why was he given smelling salts? Why did he get up from his corner after 10 seconds and try to fight Dundee....he was totally out till the illegal smelling salts. Cooper knocked him sideways...tyson would have kileld him.

It had been a while since I last saw that fight. I didn't recall all the events accurately. What I remembered was Ali getting right up and the bell ringing. So I just re-watched the fight on Youtube. You're right...Ali might have been KOed had the bell not rung immediately after the knockdown. But we'll never know if he would've survived the ensuing attack. Lesser fighters have weathered the storm and come back to win.

Ali got up very quickly and found his corner with little problem. He was shaken, but were the smelling salts really necessary? That was Angelo Dundee's opinion, in the heat of the moment. Ali's real condition after the knockdown is open to speculation. Because he got up from his stool during the break doesn't mean he was "out of it," despite the announcer's dramatic exclamations to the contrary. What we do know is that he came out in the next round and ripped into Cooper, ending the fight in the fifth round...as predicted.

Granted, had Mike Tyson landed the same shot Cooper did, Ali might have woken up in the dressing room. But, as I said before, Ali was a little careless with Cooper and got caught with a perfect shot. As I also stated, Ali would've been very careful with Tyson. When comparing two fighters, what counts is each man's track record. Because one fighter landed a good shot doesn't mean that another will land the same shot. If your neighbor wins the lottery, does that mean you'll win it, too?

[Mud]

Ali's ATG chin get thwacked by that 190 lb English-*** and got smoked by Smoking Joe. If Tyson landed that it would've been lights out. Frazier was a non-stop puncher but he was slow and ineffective. Joe can only punch with 1 hand which had true power. Tyson punches with both with more potency.


Ali's prime was after the lull for sure. All of his biggest wins came after. How can people argue Ali's prime was before? It's inconceivable.

Ali did get put down by Cooper, but was messing around trying to prolong the fight so he could fulfil his prediction of stopping Cooper in his chosen round.

But then Ali also took punches from Frazier, Foreman, Shavers etc. He had one hell of a chin, and i doubt many fighters could have taken so many of fraziers clean lefts without getting KO'd. For Ali to only go down in the last round, and still get straight back up was remarkable.

Dont forget Tyson got KTFO by Douglas, and old Holyfield.

Ali's biggest wins came after his lay off, but thats got nothing to do with when his prime was. He was obviously physically faster before, and if it wasnt for his lay off, i dont believe Frazier would have beaten him, and therefore Frazier and foreman would have never of been champion, and Ali's wins over them wouldnt have been such a great achievement. It was because Ali was getting older and slower that his win over Foreman was so impressive.

I do think Tyson was better than Frazier in many ways, but the reason Frazier gave Ali so much trouble was because he took so much and became stronger in the 2nd half of their 1st fight. I dont think Tyson could have taken that much, and was only really dangerous in the 1st half of his fights.

Tyson only had a punchers chance against Ali imo.

[CubanGuyNYC]

No, I mean the Ali which beat Liston till 67' .

Tyson couldn't knock out a James Tillis who was a poor version of Ali but he is going to beat him like the Spinks' fight , sure, whatever you say.

The members supporting Tyson in this debate all seem to believe that he would've sent Ali to the showers early. Most of us seem to agree that a Tyson win would have to come via knockout. Does anyone really see Tyson winning a unanimous decision?

Muhammad Ali is generally considered the greatest heavyweight of all time. Some even believe he was the greatest boxer ever. Whether you agree with any of this doesn't really matter. But do you truly believe that such a man would fold like a cheap suit in the face of Mike Tyson? James Tillis (207 3/4 lbs.), Mitch Green (225 lbs.), "Bonecrusher" Smith, Tony Tucker (221 lbs.) and "Razor" Ruddock all went the distance with Tyson, but Ali couldn't? At the height of his career, Tyson lost to journeyman "Buster" Douglas. Tyson never beat an ATG heavyweight in his prime. Tyson lost to the best quality fighters he ever faced: Evander Holyfield and Lennox Lewis. Tyson never won a "war."

I think it's safe to say that a Mike Tyson knockout of Muhammad Ali is NOT a lock. Therefore, in my opinion, it's more likely that Ali would've either won on a late TKO or on points.

[NChristo]

The members supporting Tyson in this debate all seem to believe that he would've sent Ali to the showers early. Most of us seem to agree that a Tyson win would have to come via knockout. Does anyone really see Tyson winning a unanimous decision?

Muhammad Ali is generally considered the greatest heavyweight of all time. Some even believe he was the greatest boxer ever. Whether you agree with any of this doesn't really matter. But do you truly believe that such a man would fold like a cheap suit in the face of Mike Tyson? James Tillis (207 3/4 lbs.), Mitch Green (225 lbs.), "Bonecrusher" Smith, Tony Tucker (221 lbs.) and "Razor" Ruddock all went the distance with Tyson, but Ali couldn't? At the height of his career, Tyson lost to journeyman "Buster" Douglas. Tyson never beat an ATG heavyweight in his prime. Tyson lost to the best quality fighters he ever faced: Evander Holyfield and Lennox Lewis. Tyson never won a "war."

I think it's safe to say that a Mike Tyson knockout of Muhammad Ali is NOT a lock. Therefore, in my opinion, it's more likely that Ali would've either won on a late TKO or on points.

Agree with all this, Mike is most probably not able to out point Ali so he would have to knock him out and it is definitely not happening early but I would also say it's not happening past round 8 or so, he has a chance in the mid range but in a dangerous fight like Mike, Ali would not get careless like he did against Cooper which is the only fight people are seeming to bring up in the thread to try and prove he Tyson wins, Ali was showing off and walked straight into a flush hook do people really think that he would do that with Tyson ?, if so they're also insulting Tyson because they think that Ali would treat Tyson like the average Cooper.

Tyson lost to the best quality fighters he ever faced: Evander Holyfield and Lennox Lewis. Tyson never won a "war."

Imo Spinks was the most skilled boxer Tyson ever faced, he wasn't at his best though clearly.

[-MAKAVELLI-]

i love Mike...my favorite HW of all time to watch...but i can't see him beating Ali


tall lanky guys with a good jab that could lean on fighters are kryptonite for Tyson