If you know anything about boxing then you know both arguments are unfounded. Let's quickly clear them both up.
Muhammad Ali was just too fast – Muhammad Ali fans have a love affair with his speed. Ali was very fast. The legend of his speed was magnified by the fact that most heavyweights of Tyson’s time were slow as molasses. He relied on his quickness and agility to avoid punches. Which means his defense was the boxing equivalent of Russian roulette. It was this game that led his face to be the pounding pad for thousands of well-placed punches. For all of his quickness and speed, Joe Frazier beat Ali within an inch of his life in their first encounter.
Mike Tyson would quickly knock Ali out – Mike Tyson fans have a love affair with Tyson’s power and intimidating persona. Mike Tyson made grown men quiver and scream. Mike Tyson’s intimidating ring entrance and ice-cold stare broke many opponents down. None of those men were Muhammad Ali. Ali withstood the thunderous hooks and uppercuts of George Foreman, Archie Moore, Joe Frazier, and Ken Norton without being knocked out. Sonny Liston was arguably a more intimidating boxer than Mike Tyson because of his mafia connections. Muhammad Ali made a mockery of him and embarrassed him twice.
If you’re going to have a discussion, especially a fantasy discussion, in which you compare boxers then you need to look at no less than 9 things.
They are:
Style – How does he box?
Punching Power – Is he swatting flies or cracking jaws?
Speed – Can you see his punches coming or do they sneak up on you?
Chin - Can the boxer take a pounding and stand his ground?
Defense – Is he a human punching bag or is he hard to hit?
Heart – Does he have the desire to peel his sweaty carcass off the canvas and return to battle?
Psychology – Can he get inside his opponent's head and nullify his training?
Key Losses – Who did the boxer lose to and why?
Stamina/Endurance – Is he grabbing his knees in the eighth round?
Anything short of this involves too much speculation and emotion. Like I said before, the conversation eventually breaks down into drivel.
British boxer Anthony Joshua sparked an interesting debate , giving his prediction for Muhammad Ali vs Mike Tyson in their prime. Joshua ended up siding with ‘Iron’ Mike, claiming he had similarities to Joe Frazier. However, a simple prediction will not do justice to the great skill-sets both fighters possess. Muhammad Ali and Tyson are a class of fighters that can’t be replicated. It’s impossible to say who would win. But based on certain skill-sets and overall technique a prediction isn’t too far fetched.
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