Muhammad Ali is universally recognised as being one of, if not the greatest fighter to have ever graced the sport of boxing.
The Kentucky-native made his mark in the paid ranks during the early 1960s, just a short while after he walked away from the Summer Olympic Games in Rome with a Light-Heavyweight Gold Medal.
Ali would go on to win the world heavyweight championship on three occasions throughout the course of his 21-year professional career, where he would share the ring with the likes of George Foreman, Joe Frazier and Larry Holmes amongst many other legendary heavyweights.
Although he went toe-to-toe with an abundance of all-time-great heavyweights during his tenure, ‘The Greatest’ once revealed the one fighter that he believes would have defeated him at any point throughout his career, even at his formidable best.
In a clip from Berran Lee, Ali told former undisputed heavyweight champion Mike Tyson that he was the one fighter that he says would have gotten the better of him.
“I’m scared of him. He’s a real champ. [Tyson would have won], I was a dancing master. You are that powerful and so fast, if he hit me [mimics falling over].”
Tyson remains arguably the most feared fighter in the history of boxing, proving to be a dominant force during the first few years of his career where he racked up 19 consecutive knockout victories during his first year as a professional.
‘Iron Mike’ made history in 1986 when he became the youngest world heavyweight champion of all time, knocking out countryman Trevor Berbick in the 2nd round of their Las Vegas showdown to capture the WBC heavyweight title. Despite Ali’s praise, Tyson believes that he would lost that particular fantasy fight, showing the respect between the two champions.
