Sportco Fantasy Fight Series #2: Muhammad Ali vs Mike Tyson

A Muhammad Ali vs Mike Tyson bout would have been a fight many would pay any sum of money to watch but of course, time had other ideas as Mike Tyson grew up idolizing Ali as a human and a boxer. What would have been if a fan would have a go against his biggest hero? 

The late Muhammad Ali is arguably the greatest boxer to ever exist, if not the greatest athlete. On the other hand, Mike Tyson is also considered the greatest heavyweight boxer of all time by many. 

Before starting off the article, i would like to mention that the below comparison is based on my personal analysis and opinion of both the fighters. Both of them are arguably the greatest boxers to ever exist, we pay all our respect to both the legends. 

Muhammad Ali vs Mike Tyson: Stats comparison

Muhammad Ali Record: 56-5-0

Ali was in an era where heavyweight boxers were ruling the world of boxing and Muhammad Ali was ruling the world of heavyweights. However, he barely ever got dominated through the course of the bout. 

Muhammad Ali was reportedly fighting the last few bouts of his career with a major illness, this was due to a poor management team. 

They wanted to promote Ali as much as they could to make every dollar they could out of him. 3 of his 5 losses came at the end of his career, out of which he avenged one and retired after 2 continuous losses. 

Muhammad Ali’s resume is filled with victories over boxing legends but the most notable names include Joe Frazier, George Foreman, Sonny Liston, Ken Norton, and Ernie Shavers.  

Mike Tyson Record: 50-6-0

Mike Tyson’s record is just a tad bit less impressive than Ali but nonetheless, getting 50 wins in the heavyweight division itself is an achievement. Mike Tyson was the biggest name in the sport of boxing during his time. 

Mike Tyson’s imprisonment was one of the reasons he has got a few losses to his name. He got inactive for over 3 years, completely leaving the sport of boxing. Despite having some great names in his resume, Mike Tyson never managed to beat the likes of Evander Holyfield, Lennox Lewis and 

Mike Tyson’s resume includes names like Frank Bruno, Michael Spinks, Larry Holmes, Tyrell Biggs, and many others.

Muhammad Ali vs Mike Tyson: Style of Fighting

Muhammad Ali’s fighting style is famous as he is regarded as the most entertaining heavyweight fighter of all time. Muhammad Ali barely ever covered his head with both his hands, as his elite head movement with impeccable footwork made him one of the best defensive fighters of all time. 

Muhammad Ali was not the biggest knockout artist but still managed to have 37 knockouts to his name. He used to dance around his opponent jabbing his way through all of the rounds before unleashing vicious combos with utmost accuracy. 

Mike Tyson’s fighting style was much different as he would rely heavily on his knockout power to get a win. He has got 44 knockouts in 50 of his fights. 

Mike Tyson’s most lethal weapon was his right hand. Mike would usually feel around his opponent with his jabs and once he felt like he was within reach he would mostly go for a hook which he would initiate with a body shot at times. 

Mike Tyson is also one of the most elite counter punchers to ever exist. He would also bob and weave like a lightweight, these head movements would lead him into finding space to land the knockout blow on his opponents. 

Muhammad Ali vs Mike Tyson: Strengths and Weaknesses

Not many weaknesses could be noted when it comes to the greatest heavyweights but we could still note down a point or two as observed through their losses. 

Muhammad Ali strengths:

1. Jab
2. Fast hands
3. Combinations
4. Head Movement
5. Footwork
6. Endurance
7. Accuracy

Muhammad Ali weaknesses:

1. Would often keep his hands down for a while

Mike Tyson strengths:

1. Knockout power
2. Fast hands
3. Head Movement
4. Footwork
5. Deadly combinations
6. Body shots
7. Hooks and uppercuts

Mike Tyson weaknesses:

1. Let his anger and emotions get the best of him at times
2. Stopped training the hardest whilst he was unbeaten
3. Underestimating his opponents at times

Muhammad Ali vs Mike Tyson: Fight Prediction

We come down to this, many of you might not agree with our views, and rightly so but please look at this as a personal analysis and an opinion. 

Mike Tyson is without a doubt the most vicious boxer of all time but he showed a lot of holes in his style by the end of his career. Muhammad Ali failed to show many weaknesses until the very end of his career, where he was extremely sick.

Mike Tyson’s boxing style matches a bit with Joe Frazier’s and we all saw Ali vs Frazier in a trilogy with Ali coming out on top with 2 wins to 1 loss. We doubt Ali would have a lot of problems against Mike as long as he is aware of his right hand. 

We believe that Muhammad Ali would get a unanimous decision victory over Mike Tyson if this fight would have been real. 

Ali’s endurance and high IQ boxing style would help him edge over Mike Tyson to get the victory. Mike Tyson himself has agreed multiple times that he would never be able to win against the GOAT but that's just Mike's admiration and respect for his idol. 

How do you think this fight would go? Let us know in the comment section down below. 

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