Mike Tyson has often credited Muhammad Ali as being his boxing hero but that hasn’t stopped him conceding that there is another man he views as the greatest.
Tyson and Ali are both regarded as two of the best heavyweight boxers of all time, with Ali first to transcend the sport when he dominated the banner division throughout the 1960s and 1970s.
He became a three-time world heavyweight champion and claimed victories in some of the most iconic fights of all time, such as the ‘Rumble In The Jungle’ against George Foreman and the ‘Thrilla In Manila’ against Joe Frazier.
After retiring from the sport in 1981, it was then Tyson’s turn to take the mantle, as he made his debut in March 1985 and just over 18 months later won the WBC title to become the youngest world heavyweight champion in history at the age of 20.
Just like Ali, Tyson’s fights were must-see affairs, becoming the number one attraction in the sport for the next two decades, with that even proving to be the case when ‘Iron Mike’ took part in a controversial bout with YouTuber-turned-boxer Jake Paul in 2024.
When it came to naming the best boxer of all time, Tyson didn’t choose Ali, instead making another pick that is widely accepted throughout the boxing world. Reflecting on a meeting with the legendary Sugar Ray Robinson, he described him as the true greatest ever.
“I know he’s the greatest fighter to ever live.”
It’s hard to argue with Tyson’s beliefs due to the achievements of Robinson, who was world champion at welterweight and middleweight, and at one point had a record of 129-1-2 with 85 knockouts, going on a 91-fight unbeaten streak in the process.
In the end, Robinson retired having won 174 of his 201 fights, making it clear exactly why Tyson and so many others view him as the greatest of all time.