Eastside X-Clusive: ALI - TYSON: Once and For All

Mike Samuels

30.12 - Is it just me, or are all the lopsided and ridiculous claims that fighters from the 60's and 70's would destroy fighters of the 80's to the present era - and vice versa - getting a little annoying? I mean, seriously. Boxing must not be doing it's job right, because on just about every website across the internet people aren't talking about Roy Jones or John Ruiz, they aren't talking about Lennox Lewis or Vladimir Klitschko.

They're talking about, long behold, "Iron" Mike Tyson and Muhammad Ali.

Muhammad Ali and Mike Tyson both defined the eras that they boxed in. In fact, no other two athletes in the sport of boxing have accomplished what these two fighters have. I'm not talking on a statistical standpoint, but more so on a commercial one. You see Ali and Tyson both were able to sell fights like no other.

With television not being an important wave for boxing in the 60's, Muhammad Ali used his mouth and his brash taste to draw people to come watch him, and most of the time it was in hopes that the young Louisville native would get smeared all over the canvas.

Tyson, on the other hand, was marketed as a time bomb. Nobody threw with as much speed or power as a young Mike Tyson, and nobody was able to match the fear that he instilled into his opponents. Most of the time Tyson's opposition was out on their feet before the opening bell. What Mike Tyson did, in reality's sense, of bring back the knock out. The art of knocking someone out had been lost with fighters like Ali, Holmes, Pernell Whitaker, and Michael Spinks. The slow paced decision type fighting won over the older generation of fans, but Mike Tyson was able to bring a new age of people to the sport.

It's fair to say that both Ali and Tyson brought the sport to a high point, and it's also fair to give them both credit for helping the sport when it seemed to be dying off slowly. And while Muhammad Ali has gone down as one of the greatest heavyweights of all-time, and certainly the greatest sports figure/entertainer of all-time, Mike Tyson isn't in the same boat.

Tyson should easily go down as one of the most exciting heavyweights of all-time, but an all-time great is a bit of a stretch. Looking at the credentials, Mike Tyson fought mostly handpicked fighters from a stable of Don King - mostly overweight drug addicts. I'm not one to discredit Tyson for doing so, because it is never a fighter's fault when competition is at an all-time low. Tyson beat the guys he was supposed to and had an impressive run as champion.

But the old saying "You can take the child out of the ghetto, but you can't take the ghetto out of the child" speaks volumes when it comes to "Iron" Mike's career.

Mike Tyson couldn't shake his old childhood habits and it all caught up to him in February of 1990, when a 42-1 underdog named James Douglas knocked him out and took all the invincibility from his championship reign. Since his first pro defeat, Tyson hasn't been able to re establish himself as a major player in the heavyweight division.

While both Ali and Tyson spent time in jail, and away from boxing, Ali came back and proved that the heart of a champion never stopped beating inside of him. Ali took on Joe Frazier after a few fights back - where it was evident he wasn't the same - and even in defeat, he won over the hearts of even his highest critics.

That charm and appeal to the public in a positive sense is what Mike Tyson lacked. Both Ali and Tyson would battle their toughest wars after serving jail time, and yet, Ali would stand on his feet while Tyson started a long journey through quicksand that still has him sinking today.

The point that should be made by now is Mike Tyson and Muhammad shouldn't be compared with each other. Both fought different styles, but that's not even the most important issue to take into consideration - especially if you are going to go as far as to match these fighters up in what really is nothing but a joke.

So, once and for all, the myths, the crazy concepts on how a 1988 Mike Tyson beats a prime Muhammad Ali (not to mention any heavyweight in history), and all the trash talk can be ended. This is a tough subject to speak on because, if you haven't noticed, Mike Tyson's supporters seem to have the need to sound off and burry their heads in his backside, all while cussing you out with the popular language known as ghetto-slang, or Ebonics. I've been a Tyson fan since I can remember, but I've never been blinded. I have defended Tyson through everything from the "long count" of Buster Douglas, the rape of Miss Washington, the chomping of Evander Holyfield's ears, and all the other incidents in which Tyson lost his cool and bruised his image.

One thing I haven't done though, and one thing I never will do, is openly admit that a prime Tyson starches Muhammad Ali within five rounds. The debate is the hottest thing since wristbands, and hopefully some of less fortunate boxing fans in the world will gain some insight and begin to understand that Mike Tyson doesn't deserve to hold Muhammad Ali's jockstrap.

Just look at a few minor things a minute. Muhammad Ali preached about being the "Greatest of all-time," but he also backed it up in the ring. In the first Joe Frazier fight many believed Ali had nothing left due to his ring absence, and it was hard for most on-goers to witness their beloved idol getting pummeled in the corner and nailed with more left hooks than ever before. And in the later stages of the fight Ali would go down from the most devastating left hook ever thrown by Joe Frazier. I remember seeing Ali's jaw move in slow motion, the bone looking as if it had just been crushed like a wrecking ball when it moves into a building.

Two seconds. That's all it took for Ali to jump back up and take more of a pounding. He didn't have to get up. He could have stayed down for the count and gone out on his back. There was no shame in losing, but Muhammad Ali isn't a loser and the only way he decided to go out was on his feet.

What about the Ali-Norton battles? Muhammad Ali battled Ken Norton with a broken jaw after the first round and he never once made excuses or complained. The blood was black as it dripped from his mouth, but he went back out there and took a beating. And if one thing can be said, Muhammad Ali always gave what he got. There was never any quit in the guy - not even towards the end of his career.

Besides having the heart of a 90's Holyfield, Muhammad Ali possessed somewhat of a David Tua type chin back in the 60's and 70's. Ernie Shavers, George Foreman, Sonny Liston and Joe Frazier, to name a few, were a group of heavyweights that could knock anyone out with a single punch. Muhammad Ali stood strong through the most brutal wars and kept coming. That, in a sense, is why he became the first three-time champion of the world, and why the belts were always more than a strap of leather with metal attached to him.

Being champion wasn't just about sports to Muhammad Ali. It was about life.

Mike Tyson was more concerned with making money and living the lifestyle that he only dreamed of as a youngster. I'm not blaming Tyson for doing the things he's done, because most people would have done the same thing if they were in his shoes. And this isn't a bashing piece on the former Baddest Man on the Planet, but rather a refreshing look at a truth that most people can't seem to understand.

Mike Tyson doesn't beat Muhammad Ali.

I give Tyson a lot of credit for the night in Tokyo when his pride was stripped and Buster Douglas stole his fame. Tyson didn't give in. He kept coming no matter how bad things got. His eye was shut, face cut, and legs motionless - his mouth piece even left in the corner of the mat, but Tyson stood strong and showed that he wasn't a coward. Tyson even had two electrifying battles with Razor Ruddock prior to jail, and it looked as if Mike was back in business.

But Tyson embarrassed himself and continued to blacken the sports eyes from that point on.

Bringing up how Tyson bit Holyfield, tried to break Frans Botha's arm, or basically quit in the ring against Lennox Lewis means little to most people who say Tyson would defeat Ali. After all, that wasn't a prime Mike Tyson. The prime Tyson was blowing through guys like Tony Tucker, Mitch Green, James Smith, Pinklon Thomas, and Tony Tubbs. The strange thing is, Tyson was still in his prime when he met Buster Douglas. He was fresh off a typical "Tyson knock out" over Carl "The Lie" Williams, and looking to fight Evander Holyfield to prove he was the best heavyweight ever.

Douglas did something nobody had done - he fought back. Tony Tucker, Tyrell Biggs, and most everyone else Tyson stepped into the ring with fought, but never put themselves in a position to win. A lot can be credited to Tyson's pouncing style and cat like quickness, but the other half of the story cannot be over looked. If you didn't fear Mike Tyson you had more of a shot than most people were willing to believe. The art of front running is something Mike Tyson mastered. Give him three rounds and if you're not on your ass, you're in the fight.

So just how would Mike Tyson beat someone like Ali, someone who could go the distance in his sleep? How would Mike Tyson handle Ali after he boxed, moved, feinted, and squirmed his way around the ring and through his punches? Sure, Ali was frustrated in his career, but it wasn't a notable weakness like in Tyson's case. More importantly, how would Tyson react when he figured out Muhammad Ali could TAKE one of his punches? If you ask me if Tyson could knock out Ali with a shot, I'd agree without thinking. Mike Tyson was a devastating puncher, but anyone can knock out any fighter. Over the course of a fight, I just don't see it possible for Tyson to use his classic "one-punch" style. Not over someone as seasoned as Muhammad Ali.

Once and for all, Muhammad Ali spanks Mike Tyson - and rather easily. It's not a journalistic diss on Iron Mike, just the truth - a truth that most people refuse to see.

As far as Frazier and Tyson, I'll save that for another day.

Mike Samuels can be reached at Tyson180@aol.com