Mike Tyson had one of the most turbulent professional careers of any fighter in boxing history.
The heavyweight icon’s career began when he was just 18-years-old back in 1985, going on to win his first 19 outings via stoppage with 12 of those wins coming inside the opening round.
After just 18-months as a professional, ‘Iron’ Mike became world heavyweight champion for the first time when he blasted out Trevor Berbick in just 2-rounds to claim the WBC heavyweight title and break the record of being the youngest heavyweight champion in history.
In the years that followed his sensational victory over Berbick, Tyson would go on to become the undisputed heavyweight champion with comprehensive wins over WBA champion James Smith and IBF champion Tony Tucker.
Despite his dominance during the mid 80’s and early 90’s, ‘Iron’ Mike believes there is just one heavyweight who was even greater than he was.
Speaking to ThisIs50, Tyson named none other than ‘The Greatest’, Muhammad Ali, as the fighter who would have beaten him at any stage of his career.
“There is no man like him, there just isn’t. Everything we have he supersedes us in. He was an animal, he looked more like a model than a boxer.
He’s like a Tyrannosaurus Rex with a pretty face, he’s just mean and evil, he’ll take you to deep waters and drown you. He’s very special. The best. Nobody beats Ali. I can’t beat that man, hell no. No way.”
Ali still receives plaudits for being one of, if not the greatest fighter of all time. Throughout the course of his exceptional career, ‘The Greatest’ racked up victories against the likes of Sonny Liston, Joe Frazier and George Foreman, defeating the latter in ‘The Rumble In The Jungle’, one of the sport’s most iconic moments.
