I am going to disagree with most here and say Tyson. I have seen every professional fight involving Ali and those with Tyson. Tyson had the drive and power to knock anyone out with a single punch. You cannot exactly say the same with Ali. In a single match I would take Tyson. Over a span of several years I would go with Ali.
Tyson was very dangerous with that hook. I think if he landed a punch on Ali like he did in those many first round knockouts fights he would have floored Ali
Tyson was very dangerous with that hook. I think if he landed a punch on Ali like he did in those many first round knockouts fights he would have floored Ali
This is all fun. I used to be a huge Tyson fan, loved how he just destroyed his opponents and I too thought he was the best ever. But now that I've had the time to reflect, and also because ESPN classics shows all of Ali's bouts, I believe Ali was far better in his prime.
Here is a list of who Tyson beat before Buster Douglass beat him.
[FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]1985[/FONT][FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]
Mar. 6 -- Hector Mercedes, Albany, N.Y., TKO 1
Apr. 10 -- Trent Singleton, Albany, N.Y., TKO 1
May 23 -- Don Halpern, Albany, N.Y., KO 4
June 20 -- Rick Spain, Atlantic City, N.J., KO 1
July 11 -- John Alderson, Atlantic City, N.J., TKO 2
July 19 -- Larry Sims, Poughkeepsie, N.Y., KO 3
Aug. 15 -- Lorenzo Canady, Atlantic City, N.J., TKO 1
Sept. 5 -- Michael Johnson, Atlantic City, N.J., KO 1
Oct. 9 -- Donnie Long, Atlantic City, N.J., KO 1
Oct. 25 -- Robert Colay, Atlantic City, N.J., KO 1
Nov. 1 -- Sterling Benjamin, Latham, N.Y., TKO 1
Nov. 13 -- Eddie Richardson, Houston, KO 1
Nov. 22 -- Conroy Nelson, Latham, N.Y., KO 2
Dec. 6 -- Sammy Scaff, New York, KO 1
Dec. 27 -- Mark Young, Latham, N.Y., KO 1[/FONT]
[FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]1986
Jan. 10 -- Dave Jaco, Albany, N.Y., TKO 1
Jan. 24 -- Mike Jamison, Atlantic City, N.J., TKO 5
Feb. 16 -- Jesse Ferguson, Troy, N.Y., TKO 6
Mar. 10 -- Steve Zouski, Uniondale, N.Y., KO 3
May 3 -- James Tillis, Glen Falls, N.Y., W 10
May 20 -- Mitch Green, New York, W 10
June 13 -- Reggie Gross, New York, TKO 1
June 28 -- William Hosea, Troy, N.Y., KO 1
July 11 -- Lorenzo Boyd, Swan Lake, N.Y., KO 2
July 26 -- Marvis Frazier, Glen Falls, N.Y., KO 1
Aug. 17 -- Jose Ribalta, Atlantic City, N.J., TKO 10
Sept. 6 -- Alfonzo Ratliff, Las Vegas, KO 2
Nov. 22 -- Trevor Berbick, Las Vegas, TKO 2
(Won WBC Heavyweight Title)[/FONT]
[FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]1987
Mar.7 -- James Smith, Las Vegas, W 12
(Won WBA Heavyweight Title/Retained WBC Heavyweight Title)
May 30 -- Pinklon Thomas, Las Vegas, TKO 6
(Retained WBA/WBC Heavyweight Titles)
Aug. 1 -- Tony Tucker, Las Vegas, W 12
(Won IBF Heavyweight Title/Retained WBA/WBC Heavyweight Titles/Became Undisputed World Heavyweight Champion)
Oct. 16 -- Tyrell Biggs, Atlantic City, N.J., TKO 7
(Retained Undisputed World Heavyweight Title)[/FONT]
[FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]1988
Jan. 22 -- Larry Holmes, Atlantic City, N.J., TKO 4
(Retained Undisputed World Heavyweight Title)
Mar. 21 -- Tony Tubbs, Tokyo, Japan, KO 2
(Retained Undisputed World Heavyweight Title)
June 27 -- Michael Spinks, Atlantic City, N.J., KO 1
(Retained Undisputed World Heavyweight Title)[/FONT]
[FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]1989
Feb. 25 -- Frank Bruno, Las Vegas, TKO 5
(Retained Undisputed World Heavyweight Title)
July 21 -- Carl Williams, Atlantic City, N.J., TKO 1
(Retained Undisputed World Heavyweight Title)[/FONT]
How many names on there jump out at you? It's a who's who of top-ranked chumps. The only one is Larry Holmes, and he was pretty old by the time he fought Mike Tyson. Tony Tucker? Tyrell Biggs? Please.
Now ask yourself this. If George Foreman in his youth fought that list of tomato cans, what do you think the result would have been? Frazier, Norton, shoot, even Sonny Liston would have put a pounding on those chumps.
Tyson did not face one top notch opponent in his heyday. Ali fought and beat Frazier, Foreman, Norton, Shavers, Quarry....
Finally, this is what seals it for me. Tyson in his prime would have been no match for a young George Foreman. Tyson would have never been able to knock him out and certainly wouldn't have been able to take a punch. Ali beat him....AFTER his three year lay-off.
Here is a list of who Tyson beat before Buster Douglass beat him.
[FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]1985[/FONT][FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]
Mar. 6 -- Hector Mercedes, Albany, N.Y., TKO 1
Apr. 10 -- Trent Singleton, Albany, N.Y., TKO 1
May 23 -- Don Halpern, Albany, N.Y., KO 4
June 20 -- Rick Spain, Atlantic City, N.J., KO 1
July 11 -- John Alderson, Atlantic City, N.J., TKO 2
July 19 -- Larry Sims, Poughkeepsie, N.Y., KO 3
Aug. 15 -- Lorenzo Canady, Atlantic City, N.J., TKO 1
Sept. 5 -- Michael Johnson, Atlantic City, N.J., KO 1
Oct. 9 -- Donnie Long, Atlantic City, N.J., KO 1
Oct. 25 -- Robert Colay, Atlantic City, N.J., KO 1
Nov. 1 -- Sterling Benjamin, Latham, N.Y., TKO 1
Nov. 13 -- Eddie Richardson, Houston, KO 1
Nov. 22 -- Conroy Nelson, Latham, N.Y., KO 2
Dec. 6 -- Sammy Scaff, New York, KO 1
Dec. 27 -- Mark Young, Latham, N.Y., KO 1[/FONT]
[FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]1986
Jan. 10 -- Dave Jaco, Albany, N.Y., TKO 1
Jan. 24 -- Mike Jamison, Atlantic City, N.J., TKO 5
Feb. 16 -- Jesse Ferguson, Troy, N.Y., TKO 6
Mar. 10 -- Steve Zouski, Uniondale, N.Y., KO 3
May 3 -- James Tillis, Glen Falls, N.Y., W 10
May 20 -- Mitch Green, New York, W 10
June 13 -- Reggie Gross, New York, TKO 1
June 28 -- William Hosea, Troy, N.Y., KO 1
July 11 -- Lorenzo Boyd, Swan Lake, N.Y., KO 2
July 26 -- Marvis Frazier, Glen Falls, N.Y., KO 1
Aug. 17 -- Jose Ribalta, Atlantic City, N.J., TKO 10
Sept. 6 -- Alfonzo Ratliff, Las Vegas, KO 2
Nov. 22 -- Trevor Berbick, Las Vegas, TKO 2
(Won WBC Heavyweight Title)[/FONT]
[FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]1987
Mar.7 -- James Smith, Las Vegas, W 12
(Won WBA Heavyweight Title/Retained WBC Heavyweight Title)
May 30 -- Pinklon Thomas, Las Vegas, TKO 6
(Retained WBA/WBC Heavyweight Titles)
Aug. 1 -- Tony Tucker, Las Vegas, W 12
(Won IBF Heavyweight Title/Retained WBA/WBC Heavyweight Titles/Became Undisputed World Heavyweight Champion)
Oct. 16 -- Tyrell Biggs, Atlantic City, N.J., TKO 7
(Retained Undisputed World Heavyweight Title)[/FONT]
[FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]1988
Jan. 22 -- Larry Holmes, Atlantic City, N.J., TKO 4
(Retained Undisputed World Heavyweight Title)
Mar. 21 -- Tony Tubbs, Tokyo, Japan, KO 2
(Retained Undisputed World Heavyweight Title)
June 27 -- Michael Spinks, Atlantic City, N.J., KO 1
(Retained Undisputed World Heavyweight Title)[/FONT]
[FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]1989
Feb. 25 -- Frank Bruno, Las Vegas, TKO 5
(Retained Undisputed World Heavyweight Title)
July 21 -- Carl Williams, Atlantic City, N.J., TKO 1
(Retained Undisputed World Heavyweight Title)[/FONT]
How many names on there jump out at you? It's a who's who of top-ranked chumps. The only one is Larry Holmes, and he was pretty old by the time he fought Mike Tyson. Tony Tucker? Tyrell Biggs? Please.
Now ask yourself this. If George Foreman in his youth fought that list of tomato cans, what do you think the result would have been? Frazier, Norton, shoot, even Sonny Liston would have put a pounding on those chumps.
Tyson did not face one top notch opponent in his heyday. Ali fought and beat Frazier, Foreman, Norton, Shavers, Quarry....
Finally, this is what seals it for me. Tyson in his prime would have been no match for a young George Foreman. Tyson would have never been able to knock him out and certainly wouldn't have been able to take a punch. Ali beat him....AFTER his three year lay-off.
