Mike Tyson believes there is just one fighter in boxing history that would have beaten him during his prime years.
Tyson burst onto the scene during the mid 80s, making his professional debut back in 1985 when he was just 18-years-old before going on to win his first 19 bouts via stoppage.
He wrote his name into the boxing history books 18-months into his career when he blasted out Trevor Berbick in the 2nd round of their bout in Las Vegas to capture the WBC heavyweight title and become the youngest world heavyweight champion of all time.
In the year that followed his record-breaking victory over Berbick, Tyson defeated WBA champion James Smith and IBF champion Tony Tucker to achieve undisputed status at heavyweight just one month after he turned 21-years-old.
‘Iron Mike’ made six successful defences of his undisputed crown before he suffered a shock defeat to James ‘Buster’ Douglas in what is widely considered to be one, if not the biggest upset in boxing history.
Despite proving himself to be such a force throughout his peak, Tyson once revealed to ThisIs50 that he would have ‘no way’ of beating the man they call ‘The Greatest’ – Muhammad Ali.
“There is no man like him, there just isn’t. Everything we have he supersedes us in. He was an animal, he looked more like a model than a boxer.
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. Nobody beats Ali. I can’t beat that man, hell no. No way.”
Ali often regarded as being the greatest fighter to have ever lived, proving his credentials on more than one occasion throughout his storied professional career where he captured the world heavyweight championship on three occasions, racking up victories over the likes of Sonny Liston, Ken Norton, Joe Frazier and George Foreman to name just a few.