The greatest heavyweight boxer of all time

[Gadsta]

I know that most will say Ali, really think about it, who would beat all in their prime?

 

[Flex]

I'd say if all these guys fought each other in their primes, the winner would be Iron Mike.

Ali would be runner up.

 

[ALBOB]

I'd definitely give Iron Mike the strength nod, but I don't think he'd land a punch on Ali. Muhammad would justfloat around the ring pecking away until there was nothing left of Tyson.

 

[Flex]

Muhammad would justfloat around the ring pecking away until there was nothing left of Tyson.

I don't think so, man.

@ age 21, Iron Mike was a BEAST.

Sure, Ali is the probably the greatest boxer ever, but those guys couldn't hold a candle to nowadays boxers, who are so much stronger and quicker.

 

[Flex]

It's like comparing Wilt to Shaq. Wilt is probably the greatest center ever, but if he were to play in today's NBA, he'd be a so-so at best, due to the mere athleticism differences.

 

[Goodfella9783]

I went with the Rock

 

[musclepump]

Ali

 

[musclepump]

Throwing a nod out there for Marciano, too

 

[Gadsta]

I chose Joe Louis,

I always used to say Ali out of habit but having watched and studied loads of old fights, i could see Louis being too hot for Ali to handle. Ali couldn't block a left jab, yes he could move out of the way but never did he face someone with a left jab like Louis....it was a knockout left jab if you can believe that! That's why Ali had trouble with Norton, because of his extremely good jab. A close battle but my money would be on Louis. Joe Louis - The best combinations boxer ever!

I'd have Dempsey 3rd after Ali, he was ferocious and everything Tyson very nearly was. Marciano undefeated oyu can't better that, but to me it never seemed that he was really tested

 

[BoneCrusher]

I chose Joe Louis,

I always used to say Ali out of habit but having watched and studied loads of old fights, i could see Louis being too hot for Ali to handle. Ali couldn't block a left jab, yes he could move out of the way but never did he face someone with a left jab like Louis....it was a knockout left jab if you can believe that! That's why Ali had trouble with Norton, because of his extremely good jab. A close battle but my money would be on Louis. Joe Louis - The best combinations boxer ever!

Norton actually broke Ali's jaw with that left ...

I completly agree Joe is the man. Add his world class ass kicking of Hitler's boy in Hitler's own back yard and the result is irrefutable.

 

[BoneCrusher]

I'd definitely give Iron Mike the strength nod, but I don't think he'd land a punch on Ali. Muhammad would justfloat around the ring pecking away until there was nothing left of Tyson.

Lennox showed that a large man with boxing skills would dominate Tyson. Add that tyson was a punk that mugged old women in elevators and he gets disqualified from mention.

 

[Dale Mabry]

If I were to say who is the best based on how they handled their careers, I would go with Rocky Marciano in that every other person up there went way past their prime.

If you were to put all of them into a boxing tournament at their prime, Ali all the way. The only one that I would hesitate to say he would beat would be Tyson, but once it got past the first 3 rounds Ali would dominate the fight. Iron Mike just never had the heart.

 

[jack52]

#1Ali #2 Frazier- Marciano and Louis fought a bunch of little guys.Tyson had strength -no polish. By the way Louis whupped Schmelling in New York.

 

[Flex]

Lennox showed that a large man with boxing skills would dominate Tyson. Add that tyson was a punk that mugged old women in elevators and he gets disqualified from mention.

that was WAAAAAAAAAY outta Tyson's prime.

 

[Flex]

If you were to put all of them into a boxing tournament at their prime, Ali all the way. The only one that I would hesitate to say he would beat would be Tyson, but once it got past the first 3 rounds Ali would dominate the fight. Iron Mike just never had the heart.

i completely agree with you here, where Ali and Tyson would be the last two.

except for the finish that is, cuz it wouldn't have went 3 rounds. Tyson woulda knocked the guy out in less than 2.

 

[shutupntra1n]

I always liked Lennox Lewis's accent and he's a hottie so I voted for him. Not the best fighter by far but I like him anyway

 

[MaxMirkin]

This:

 

[BoneCrusher]

that was WAAAAAAAAAY outta Tyson's prime.

That was at the end of Lennox's reign ... add in that Tyson ran from Lewis and actually refused to fight him causing the loss of one of Tyson's belts. He did not give that belt up willingly it was stripped from Tyson. Lewis is now 39 years old while Tyson is 36 years old. Sorry Flex but nothing in the records or Tyson's history contributes your assumption.

Who was the best boxer of Lennox Lewis's weight that Tyson fought?

 

[cman]

#1Ali #2 Frazier- Marciano and Louis fought a bunch of little guys.Tyson had strength -no polish. By the way Louis whupped Schmelling in New York.

I agree, ali would play with people like a cat does when he catches a mouse. Tyson has no panache.

 

[Dale Mabry]

Tyson woulda knocked the guy out in less than 2.

I don't think he would have, he never fought someone as fast as Ali. I watched the Buster Douglas/Tyson fight the other night on ESPN Classic. While it was not Mike's night, what lost that fight for him was that he went head hunting early, missed a bunch of shots that would have sent down an elephant, and was done after 5 rounds. Tyson should have never lost that fight, but I have a feeling that if anyone made him miss like that he would have lost to just abot anyone. While it wasn't Tyson's best fight, I don't see Ali ever losing to Buster Douglas, even if they were to fight as they are now.

 

[cman]

I always liked Lennox Lewis's accent and he's a hottie so I voted for him. Not the best fighter by far but I like him anyway

I alway's thought he was a punk. If you say he's cute I'll have to take your word for it, but as a boxer,IMHO, he's a punk.

 

[Flex]

That was at the end of Lennox's reign ... add in that Tyson ran from Lewis and actually refused to fight him causing the loss of one of Tyson's belts. He did not give that belt up willingly it was stripped from Tyson. Lewis is now 39 years old while Tyson is 36 years old. Sorry Flex but nothing in the records or Tyson's history contributes your assumption.

First of all, this whole thread is based on pure opinion, or assumption, as you call it.

Secondly, like i said, WHEN THEY FOUGHT, Tyson was WAY outta his prime.
Tyson has been washed up for practically a decade now. The beginning of the end was Holyfield I, where he showed his true side.

I'm talking about a 21 year old Tyson. IMO he would've killed that big British pussy.

 

[Flex]

Buster got the best of Tyson, but a dog beats a favorite every now and again, it's not impossible...

 

[cman]

First of all, this whole thread is based on pure opinion, or assumption, as you call it.

Secondly, like i said, WHEN THEY FOUGHT, Tyson was WAY outta his prime.
Tyson has been washed up for practically a decade now. The beginning of the end was Holyfield I, where he showed his true side.

I'm talking about a 21 year old Tyson. IMO he would've killed that big British pussy.

 

[cman]

I think ali could have played with mike. Mostly due to how inteligent he was. Ali beat some people sensless, and some people with his head. Tyson is good, but he's about as smart as a bag of door knob's.

 

[cman]

I have beat many guy's I should not have been able to. Thay were bigger stronger, better fighter's but I could see in their eye's they were mental pussycat's, and beat them mentally first, then beat them sensless.

 

[Dale Mabry]

Tyson is good, but he's about as smart as a bag of door knob's.

So true, this is what I based my opinionon. If Ali wasn't the master strategist that he was I would pick Tyson in a second.


Oh, and there is no way Lennox Lewis would have beaten Tyson in his prime. A 21 year old Tyson would have floored Lewis by the second round. Tyson was an animal back then.

 

[cman]

So true, this is what I based my opinionon. If Ali wasn't the master strategist that he was I would pick Tyson in a second.


Oh, and there is no way Lennox Lewis would have beaten Tyson in his prime. A 21 year old Tyson would have floored Lewis by the second round. Tyson was an animal back then.

totally agree. Lewis was afraid of Holyfield. you could see he did not bully him around like he did other's, plus keeping an arm out on Holyfield's forehead so he could not get close. they were both even as far as abillity and streangth in both fight's. 2nd fight holy field hurt lewis bad once and vice versa.
Tyson at 21, would have chumped lewis. Lewis is good but lacks the agression.

 

[BoneCrusher]

When Ali was King there did not exist a huge crowd of pending wannabes trying for a chance at the throne. Ali fought everyone who was willing to step into the ring and several of them more than once. Tyson had a big line of Bonecrusher Smith types looking for a leg up in the devision who were not at the level of Lennox Lewis or Mike Tyson. It was easier for Tyson to rack up a big knock out record with guys like Michael Spinks or Tyrel Biggs to beat on as long as he avoided guys like Holyfield and Lewis.

 

[BoneCrusher]

First of all, this whole thread is based on pure opinion, or assumption, as you call it.

Secondly, like i said, WHEN THEY FOUGHT, Tyson was WAY outta his prime.
Tyson has been washed up for practically a decade now. The beginning of the end was Holyfield I, where he showed his true side.

I'm talking about a 21 year old Tyson. IMO he would've killed that big British pussy.

It would have been a 21 year old Tyson against a 24 year old Lewis. I wish they had fought then because we would have been resqued from the Tyson era as Lewis would have knocked his punk ass out then too. The only differance would be that Holyfield would still have all of his ears left ... better to listen to the sound of Tyson hitting the canvas

Oh, and there is no way Lennox Lewis would have beaten Tyson in his prime. A 21 year old Tyson would have floored Lewis by the second round. Tyson was an animal back then.

Lewis was what back then Dale? A Puss? He was as in his prime then as Tyson was. Lewis and Tyson did meet in the amatures in the catskills as sparing partners.

Although they got along well, Lewis got a glimpse of Tyson's rage in the opening moments of their first sparring session, when Tyson gave him a bloody nose.

"The bell rang and all of a sudden, Tyson just turned into an animal," Boehm told the paper.

"Mike came charging across the ring like a raging tiger, like a man possessed."

When that first session was over, Lewis and Tyson were back hanging out together.

But as they boxed more rounds, Lewis began to assert himself.

And, as Boehm recalled, "By the end of the fourth or fifth session, Lennox was taunting Mike. Lennox was laughing at him, playing with him.

"Mike said, 'Come on, come on, hit me you son of a bitch.' And Cus said, 'That's enough, Mike,' and it stopped right there."

Tyson avoided Lewis from that point on ... untill he had no chioce.
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