Mike Tyson was viewed as an unstoppable force throughout the late 1980s.
His rapid rise to the top of the heavyweight scene began when he won his first 19 fights by knockout, 12 of them inside the very first round.
That led to him defeating Trevor Berbick to become WBC heavyweight champion in November 1986 at the age of just 20 years and 145 days, making him the youngest world heavyweight champion in history, a record that still stands to this day.
Victories over the likes of Tony Tucker, Michael Spinks and James Smith then saw ‘Iron Mike’ become undisputed in the division, an accolade he held until his shock defeat to Buster Douglas in February 1990.
While he was seen as one of the best heavyweights of all time during that period, Tyson has told ThisIs50 that even during his prime, he would have been unable to defeat Muhammad Ali.
“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 mean, he’ll take you to deep waters and drown you. He’s very special. The best. Nobody beats Ali. I can’t beat the man, hell no.”
Ali is the only three-time lineal heavyweight champion in history, helping to show exactly why he is regarded as ‘The Greatest.’
He beat a number of boxing icons during his illustrious career, including George Foreman, Joe Frazier, Sonny Liston and Floyd Patterson.
One man that fought both Ali and Tyson was Larry Holmes, and the former world heavyweight champion has given his prediction for who would have won between the two legends.
