The outcome of a fantasy showdown between Muhammad Ali and Mike Tyson has been debated for many years.
Ali is often credited with being one of, if not the greatest fighter of all time, proving his credentials throughout the course of his storied professional career where he reigned as the world heavyweight champion on three occasions, defeating the likes of George Foreman, Ken Norton and Joe Frazier amongst many others.
Tyson exploded onto the scene during the mid-to-late 1980’s, becoming the youngest world heavyweight champion of all time with that historic victory over Trevor Berbick in 1986. ‘Iron Mike’ would go on to defeat WBA champion James Smith and IBF champion Tony Tucker shortly after, achieving undisputed status just one month after his 21st birthday.
In an interview with RetroBoxingLive, legendary trainer Emanuel Steward, who coached the likes to Thomas Hearns, Lennox Lewis and Wladimir Klitschko, predicted what he believes would have happened had Ali fought Tyson during their respective prime years.
“Muhammad Ali and Mike Tyson? Ali, Ali, Ali.
Mike is one of the most amazing men and why I have so much respect for Mike Tyson is a small guy, I mean Mike is maybe about an inch, inch and a half taller than I am but I’m only 5’9, and the fact that he accomplished what he did was amazing and sometimes he lost when he fought big guys who were talented guys, who wasn’t imtimidated by him, he always had a problem because he really was nothing but much more than a cruiserweight fighting these super-heavyweight’s and so I think Ali would have won the fight because I thought he had too much boxing skills and physical size and just all around generalship and usually as the fight went on often times Mike as he tired physically and mentally he had problems in later rounds with those big guys and Ali actually fought better in the later rounds.”
Ali changed the landscape of boxing on more than one occasion during his career, leaving his mark on the sport which has inspired generation after generation of fighters over the years.
