Ali by TKO in 7
Ali would win. Here's why:
1. Ali had one of the best chins in the business. He fought and got hit by the hardest-hitting heavyweights of all time - Liston, Frazier, Foreman, Lyle, Shavers - but was never stopped or knocked out. Tyson wouldn't be any different. He'd hurt Ali with some shots but he wouldn't be able to stop him.
2. Ali is taller and he knew how to take advantage of his height and reach. He'd keep the fight at center and keep Tyson at bay with his long left jab.
3. Tyson had a weak psyche. He was easily provoked, and when he got mad and did all those bizarre stuff that got him disqualified. And Ali was a master in beating his opponents psychologically. By fight night, Tyson would've been beaten mentally from all the taunting and trash-talking of Ali.
4. Tyson had poor stamina. He wasn't used going beyond 5 rounds, afterwhich, he loses steam and the sting in his punches. He'd be wasted by the 8th and Ali would knock him out.
In his prime Ali took punches from harder punchers and kept going.
George Foreman was bigger and hit harder than Tyson, Ali took his punches.
Joe Frazier, Sonny Liston and Shavers hit as hard as Tyson, Ali took it and kept fighting.
Watch Tillis vs Tyson.
Tillis fought like a slower weaker version of Ali, he kept hitting in the outside and grabbing the short Tyson. Ali could easily win a decision in 12 rounds with this method and wear Tyson down and knock him out in a 15 round bout.
Ali is fast, but Tyson is hard hitting. Not to say Ali wasn't hard hitting, just Tyson hits harder. I think that Ali would wear Tyson down, and from that Ali would win the match
I will give you two answers.
The first one is my own.
Let me preface by saying that I am great admirer of Tyson's boxing. He had tremendous hand speed, a great jab, power in both hands, incredible head movement, could take a punch like no one, was aggressive, and certainly ranks in the all time top thirty to fifty heavyweights.
Moreover, Tyson would be a threat to any heavyweight in history, even to those who might beat him.
However, despite his skill and determination, Tyson would not have a hope against Ali.
The reason for this is that Tyson's boxing style was limited against pure boxers and unconventional styles.
The prof of this can be witnessed in two of Tyson's fights in his prime: James Smith (unconventional) and Douglas (pure boxer).
Smith wrestled, hung on, ran away, and tried to catch Tyson with unexpected shots. It worked, and Tyson did not look good in that fight. He could not figure out how to adapt to Smith's challenge, and got really clocked in the second to last round. Of course, Tyson won, and survived that one shot, but he did not look very convincing. I believe Holyfield must have studied this fight carefully, because he used some of the same tricks.
In the Douglas fight, we can make excuses that he had just fired Rooney and was out partying, but again, Tyson was completely outclassed in his prime by a good boxer. The "peek-a-boo" close-glove style used by Tyson is vulnerable to a good jab, as even rapid head movement eventually gets caught. And it was the jab that beat Tyson, showing that a god boxer style could get through his defense.
Now, Ali was not just a good boxer. He is ranked in the top three all time heavyweights by most knowledgeable boxing cognoscenti. He was also unconventional in that he was the ultimate ring general....he ran the fight,and always outsmarted his opponents. He could change his style as needed, and we saw that against Foreman.
Ali beat better boxers than Tyson. George Foreman, Sonny Liston, Frazier, Jimmy Young.....and he faced harder hitters than Tyson.....again, Foreman, and Shavers.
The other thing about Ali is that, despite being the fastest heavyweight of all time, he could hit. Most people seem to miss that point, as he tended to make his matches last rather than ending them early. Foreman commented that his lead rights in the first round of their fight added up, and set up the later knock out. The "phantom punch" that ended Liston in their second encounter raised charges of Liston throwing the fight, but modern slow-motion analysis of the punch shows Liston head snapping back....the punch was just so fast it was hard to see, and thus believe.
So, Ali,with his pure boxing, unconventional style and adaptability, ability to take punches from the best, would simply be too much for Tyson.
But who am I? What would Tyson himself say on the topic?
Here is my second answer, then.
Tyson was asked the very question you are asking in a television interview.
He answered it honestly.
He summed up the weaknesses of Ali, his poor defense, his limited arsenal....
But he also repeats what so many other greats have said about Ali.
Jerry Joe Walcott, who had fought and seen so many of the old time greats, said that Ali would beat any of them.
And Tyson says the same. "He is like a Tyranosaurus with a pretty face....he drags you out into deep waters and drowns you....he is very special....no one beats Ali.
Watch the video (below). It is very entertaining.
ali all day long. tyson at his best couldnt beat a pre 33 year old ali on his worst.
Ali at his best vs Tyson at his Very best, i would have to say Tyson.
Ali has faced some of the best and hardest hitting heavyweights ever but he has never faced someone like Tyson. Tyson speed, VICIOUS POWERR and style would be to much for Ali imo, plus Tyson defense was really great when he was at his best.
Ali is going to get caught with Tysons speed and vicious power, sooner or later he is gonna have to face that. ALI HAD A GREAT CHIN and could take a punch but Tyson had BLINDING SPEED and can throw NASTY COMBINATIONS, can he take a combination of TYSONS POWER punches coming at him from all angles at blinding speed, i dont think so.
