The legacy of Muhammad Ali is undeniable, although ‘The Greatest’ once revealed the one fighter who would have beaten him during his prime.
Ali is regarded as one of the great, if not the greatest, fighters in the history of boxing. He held the undisputed heavyweight championship for four years in the mid-to-late 70’s, facing defeat just five times in his 61-fight career as a professional.
‘The Greatest’ enjoyed memorable victories over the likes of Sonny Liston, Ken Norton, Joe Frazier and George Foreman. He played his part in two of the most iconic events in boxing folklore, overcoming Foreman in the ‘Rumble In The Jungle’ in 1974, followed by Frazier in the ‘Thrilla In Manila’ just one year later.
Despite sharing the ring with many of the greatest heavyweights of all time, Ali once revealed the one fighter that would have defeated him during his formidable prime.
In video footage shared by BerranLee, ‘The Greatest’ was asked who would have won in a bout between himself and Mike Tyson if they had met in their respective primes, gesturing towards ‘Iron’ Mike.
“I’m scared of him, he’s a real champ. [He would have won], I was a dancing master. You are that powerful and so fast, if he hit me [mimes falling over].”
Tyson cemented himself as one of the most formidable heavyweights of all time during his memorable career, holding the record of being the youngest world heavyweight champion in the sport’s history.
After making his initial retirement from boxing in 2005, the 58-year-old made a sensational return in November when he faced Jake Paul at the AT&T Stadium in Texas, falling short in a points decision loss against the YouTube sensation turned professional fighter.
