Mike Tyson names his boxing Mount Rushmore – his former opponents have all been snubbed

   

Tony Bellew snubs Floyd Mayweather and Mike Tyson as former world champion names  boxing Mount Rushmore | The US Sun

Mike Tyson has revealed his ultimate top four boxers, none of which he has shared the ring with.

Former basketball player Shaquille O'Neal was joined by 'Iron' Tyson for a recent episode of his podcast, The Big Podcast with Shaq.

Tyson is an iconic voice in the boxing community after his stellar career

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Tyson is an iconic voice in the boxing community after his stellar careerCredit: The Big Podcast

Recording in Las Vegas in front of a live audience, O'Neal and Tyson reflected on some of their memories as well as the illustrious moments of the legendary heavyweight's career.

 

Following his professional debut in 1985, Tyson rapidly rose to fame with his devastating knockout power, winning almost all of his first 37 bouts by KO.

He went on to make history as the youngest heavyweight champion ever.

'Iron Mike' has fought the likes of Evander Holyfield, Larry Holmes and Lennox Lewis, who are all considered greats.

While none of Tyson's former opponents made the list of his four boxing greats.

They do all share two traits, they are all heavyweights and have multiple defeats on their record.

He named: "Dempsey, Liston, Ali and Foreman."

Lefkoe chimed in to clarify to the audience in Las Vegas that Tyson was naming Jack Dempsey, Sonny Liston, Muhammad Ali, and George Foreman.

Tyson continued: “Sonny Liston is known for the loss. But that loss just shows you how important Sonny Liston was, because that's what launched Muhammad Ali for so many years."

Liston is often remembered for his two losses to Ali and the controversy surrounding them.

Ali and Liston were two names that featured on his list

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Ali and Liston were two names that featured on his listCredit: Getty - Contributor

Their bouts were crowded with questions of legitimacy, especially after their rematch ended abruptly in the first round when Ali knocked Liston down with a punch many observers didn't even see. 

Both heavyweights continued their successful careers following their second bout against each other in 1965.

Tyson went on to pay homage to Ali, clarifying: “Sonny Liston's the baddest, right? But Ali outsmarted these guys.

“These guys are bad guys. If you fight a man, the man that fights you to the end. But Ali outsmarted them, and that's why he beat them.

“He didn't beat them for fun.”

Ali, dubbed as 'The Greatest' had a professional record of 56-5 when he hung up his gloves for the final time.

NEW YORK - MARCH 13:  Lennox Lewis and Evander Holyfield fight for the WBC, WBA, IBF and Lineal heavyweight titles on March 13, 1999 at Madison Square Garden in the Manhattan borough of New York City. The fight ended in a draw and Lewis retained the WBC and Lineal titles. (Photo by Focus on Sport/Getty Images)

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But Tyson ignored Lewis and Holyfield despite their amazing achievementsCredit: Getty

Having made a retirement U-turn, Ali came back only to suffer two final defeats against Larry Holmes and Trevor Berbick.

Dempsey was an icon of his generation reigning as world heavyweight champion in the early 20th century.

He is often overlooked due to the current time period, but the American had it all in terms of boxing skillset.

Foreman was also a true great and shared his most famous 'Rumble in the Jungle' bout with Ali in 1974.