The Mike Tyson/Muhammad Ali debate...?

J

Jeremy P

New member
I'm too young, I never had the privelege of seeing Muhammad Ali fight, and I was very young when Mike Tyson was in his prime.

However, I would like to add something to this debate. I watched a video on youtube. Muhammad Ali was on Arsenio Hall. I'm assuming it was late eighties, maybe early nineties. Of course, his illness was starting to get to him at this time. Then, Mike Tyson came out. When Tyson came out, Ali moved down the couch in a joking manner. Arsenio asked him what was wrong.

Ali replied, "I'm scared of that man."

Tyson laughed and said, "Look, I'm vain, I know I'm great, but sometimes you gotta bow your head to the best, and Ali is the best."

Then Arsenio asked Ali who would win in a fight in both of the fighters prime. Ali replied Tyson would win because of his strength.

My question is, do you think Ali was just being a good, humble guy? Or do you legitmiately think Ali thinks Tyson would definitely win? I'm sure a lot of fans would say he is just being humble, but remember, Ali wasn't exactly known for being a humble guy. However, I do understand he is older now and probably a lot more mature.
 
God... this question again. Don't look at what Ali or Tyson said about each other. Look at their styles.

Ali will probably get to Tyson's head during the press conferences and the weigh-in. Ali is known to tire his opponents till the later rounds. We all know Tyson is prone to get tired because he starts his onslaught the moment the 1st round bell sound.

Now.. we all saw the George Foreman fight. Not to say that Foreman is stronger than Tyson but their styles are very similar. What's a valid fact is that Ali is much bigger than Tyson. Ali is 6'3 and Tyson is only 5'10". Not to mention the reach comparison, Ali has 80" Tyson only 71".

We need a time machine and make this fight happen, seriously. I predict a 12th round KO for Muhammad Ali.
 
Ali was just being good, humble guy, I guess. You see, Ali's shtick was all for a show. He used it to sell himself and his fights and, at the same time, to intimidate his opponents. I saw that show too, and at that time Mike was champ and on top of his game, if not the world. I think Ali was just being magnanimous. It was Tyson's time and Ali wouldn't want to take the glory away from him. What Ali did was sort of passing the baton to the young champion. It was his (Ali's) way of supporting Tyson. But even Tyson knows that he wouldn't have touched Ali especially in the latter's prime.
 
I think Ali would win, and I am not concluding this because I think Ali was the greatest boxer of all time. Ali was one of the toughest boxers of all time. Most boxers would of pretty much died from taking that many clean punches from joe frazier.

Mike tyson in his prime had awsome power, but so did someone like joe frazier..... it would of been like re-animating the thrilla in minilla again.

But what people don't remember besides the fact that Ali won the last of those battle was that he told his conner man that he wanted to give up, and who would blame him. I don't think any sane man would.
 
I am old, I saw a lot of Ali's fights, and I saw a lot of Tyson as well. Believe me when I tell you that Ali would have taken Mike apart. Without a doubt Ali was being polite, and Mike, Ray and Arsenio as well as everyone else over 40 in the world knew it. Mike never faced anything like Ali, and in truth about a half dozen of the guys Ali beat would have most likely given Mike Tyson worlds of trouble. I think Ali would have done pretty much the same as Holyfield did with Mike. Thumbs up to Bundini, I too saw the show, and Ali was just being humble.

Ali by mid round KO in a one sided beating.
 
I know the episode of Arseniol you are talking about. Sugar ray Leonard was with them too, right? I think Ali was being gracious to the young champion. I am 38 and saw Ali and Tyson..so I compare them. I know Ali knows he was the greatest heavyweight champ ever. He would beat Tyson with his speed and reach advantage and his tremedous ability to use his feet to dance away from punches. At the same time, being scared isn't new. In the book "KIng Of the World" by David Remnick...Ali is said to have been scared of Liston and acted crazy (literally) to flip the fear factor on Liston (which worked). He might have some fear of fighting an explosive KO artist like Tyson (maybe the greatest KO artist of all time in his prime), but Ali was smart enough and blessed with the Physical gifts (Like Douglas and Holyfield) Ali had a reach and size matched with speed that would lead to the late round undoing of Tyson. I see Ali winning round after round on the end of his jab dancing and jabbing...Tyson trying to walk through it all getting his 5 times to one punch attempt and Ali dancing away just when Tyson thought he was close enough to do damage. This would Ali ahead on all cards until Tyson gets tired and Ali starts planting his feet, being more stationary and going for (and getting ) his own KO.
 
well if ali was to fight tyson he would of said something very different (most probably something along the lines of tyson has no chance. im to fast, ill win in under 10 rounds)

But at that stage ali was done and had allready proved he was one of the greatest boxers ever. there was no reason for ali to try and pysch tyson out. I think he was just being humble and joking like he allways did.
 
What most people don't know about ALI is that, despite his antics BEFORE a fight, he ALWAYS showed the utmost praise for his opponents AFTER the fight.

Also, ALI is at a point where he doesn't believe he has to prove his greatness. His legacy is already forged. Tyson had yet to forge his.

George Forman put it best when he was robbed against Shannon Briggs.

"I've had my career already. If a win over George Forman would boost this young man's career then God Bless him".

With nothing else to prove, the last thing ALI would do is steal another man's thunder. Naturally, ALI would never say such a thing DURING his career.

By the way, I won't go into the details. I've done this fight MANY times, even on this board.

ALI by TKO in 13
 
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