The late, great Muhammad Ali was known for his unwavering confidence, but, in retirement, he could be extremely complimentary of the heavyweight that came up behind him.
Ali, known simply as ‘The Greatest’, is widely considered to be one of, if not the best heavyweight to have ever laced up a pair of boxing gloves.
The Kentucky-native walked away from the 1960 Summer Olympic Games with a light-heavyweight Gold Medal and would go on to enter the paid ranks shortly after.
Throughout the course of his decorated pro career, Ali produced legacy-defining wins over the likes of Joe Frazier, Sonny Liston, Ken Norton and George Foreman amongst a number of others.
He reigned as the world heavyweight champion on three separate occasions, including a dominant run as the undisputed heavyweight champion for four years between 1974 and 1978.
Whilst he is often credited with being the greatest heavyweight ever, Ali once revealed the one man that he believes would have beaten him, even at his formidable best.
In a resurfaced clip, Ali backed Mike Tyson to defeat him in a fantasy clash between the pair, as he claims the former undisputed heavyweight champion would have been ‘too powerful’ for him.
“I’m scared of him, he’s a real champ. [He would have won], I was a dancing master. You are that powerful and so fast, if he hit me [mimes falling over].”
‘Iron Mike’ remains the youngest world heavyweight champion of all time, a record he broke back in 1986 when he knocked out Trevor Berbick in the second round of their bout at The Hilton in Las Vegas, Nevada.
At the peak of his powers, Tyson was a formidable force in the heavyweight division which culminated in him producing victories over the likes of Larry Holmes, Frank Bruno and Michael Spinks.
