Roy Jones Jr is confident he knows who would have come on top in in fantasy showdown between Mike Tyson and Muhammad Ali.
Many fans and pundits have debated over the years what would have happened if the legendary heavyweights had ever faced one another during their respective ‘peaks’.
Ali retired from boxing in 1981, just a few years before ‘Iron’ Mike made his debut in 1985. It took Tyson just over 1-year to capture the world heavyweight championship for the first time, when he defeated Trevor Berbick in 1986 to claim the WBC heavyweight title.
Berbick was the last fighter to face ‘The Greatest’ when they locked horns at the end of 1981, although it has been argued that this bout should never have taken place after it was made common knowledge in the build-up that Ali’s health had began to deteriorate.
In an interview with Sports Illustrated, Roy Jones Jr made no mistake in naming who he believed would have prevailed if Ali and ‘Iron’ Mike had fought during their prime years.
“Muhammad Ali. If it wasn’t for Muhammad Ali there would be no Roy Jones Jr. He will always be the greatest in my book.”
Tyson and Ali became good friends during the later years of ‘The Greatest’, as they appeared on chat shows together and even visited one another at their respective homes. Both fighters had claimed on multiple occasions that the other would have won if they ever fought, which proves there was an unbelievable amount of respect and admiration between them.
Ali tragically passed away in 2016 after a long and brave battle with Parkinson’s Disease, although his incredible legacy and influence remains in the sport to this very day.
