Mike Tyson makes surprising admission over 'mean and evil' fighter he would have lost to

Mike Tyson boasts a formidable record of 44 knockouts, earning him the moniker of 'The Baddest Man on the Planet' – a title that sent shivers down the spines of heavyweight opponents everywhere.

He's also the first undisputed heavyweight champ of the modern era, which cements his reputation as a force to be reckoned with in the ring. Nonetheless, Tyson humbly admits that, had he and Muhammad Ali faced off at the tender age of 20, he wouldn't have stood a chance against the greatest of all time.

Speaking candidly with Jack Thriller in the past, Tyson didn't mince his words. "There is no man like him," he stated matter-of-factly. "There just isn't. Everything we have, he supersedes us in, even with arrogance and ego. His speed was his defense, and he threw punches from any angle."

Tyson's own fighting style, marked by raw aggression and formidable power, commanded respect in its own right, but even he couldn't help but be in awe of Ali's seemingly bottomless well of endurance, relentless pressure, and sheer mental toughness.

He offered an intriguing analogy, likening Ali to a fearsome prehistoric predator – albeit one with a rather dashing appearance. "He's like a Tyrannosaurus Rex with a pretty face. He's just mean and evil. He'll take you to deep waters and drown you. He's very special. The best in the world."

Tyson's praise didn't stop there, however; he went so far as to say that, had their paths crossed in the ring, Ali would have undoubtedly emerged victorious.

"Nobody beats Ali," he conceded. "It's not about muscle memory or concentration. It's just him doing it. Never stopping, never tired. I can't beat that man. Hell no. No way."

Ali passed away in 2016. He finished with a record of 56 victories, 37 by knockout, and a mere five defeats, succumbing only to Joe Frazier, Ken Norton, Leon Spinks, Larry Holmes, and Trevor Berbick.

He managed to turn the tables on Spinks, Norton, and Frazier, cementing his legacy as the only three-time lineal heavyweight champion in history. The heavyweight legend's CV is unparalleled in the annals of boxing, boasting seven international Gold medals, including an Olympic win in 1960, an induction into the International Boxing Hall of Fame, and the unique distinction of being named 'Fighter of the Year' six times by The Ring magazine.

Two decades later, Tyson stormed onto the scene, becoming the youngest ever heavyweight champion at the tender age of 20 when he floored a common adversary in Berbick in 1986. Tyson's reign as the sport's most formidable puncher included a savage fourth-round knockout of Larry Holmes, a boxer who had previously bested Ali in 1980.

Ali hung up his gloves in 1981, while Tyson's professional career ended on a three-fight losing streak, suffering defeats to Jake Paul, Kevin McBride, and Danny Williams after initially retiring in 2005.

In November 2024, Tyson laced up his gloves once more to square off against Paul, marking his first fight since his exhibition match against Roy Jones Jr. in 2020. Despite the event smashing viewership records and becoming the most-watched U.S. sporting event ever streamed with a whopping 108 million live viewers, Tyson confessed two months later that he was still grappling with the loss.