Larry Holmes, the former heavyweight champion known as "The Easton Assassin," has weighed in on a fantasy matchup between Mike Tyson and Muhammad Ali. Holmes, who fought both men during his career, believes Ali would easily handle Tyson.
When Sky Sports asked Holmes if Tyson could survive in Ali's era, his answer was short and direct: "No." He explained that "Ali would slap him all day with the jab."
Holmes has a unique perspective on this matchup. He faced Ali at the end of "The Greatest's" career and became the only man to beat Ali by stoppage. Many felt Ali shouldn't have been in the ring for that fight. Eight years later, at 38, Holmes faced a 21-year-old Tyson who was looking to avenge his hero's loss. Tyson knocked out Holmes in four rounds.
Despite Tyson's fearsome reputation, Holmes doesn't think he measures up to Ali. Tyson himself has acknowledged Ali's superiority. In a 2019 interview with Michael Rapaport, Tyson said:
"I always like to think I'm a bad motherf**ker, vicious motherf**ker, I don't give a f**k. That's the part of Ali where he overshines me, cause I can't understand a man that's willing to really die for this. I talk that sh*t, but he's the real deal. Ali's a giant. There's no way other fighters can match him. He'll die for this sh*t. He'll die. I'm not gonna die for this. That's real talk. Ali's a savage. He's an animal. A different breed of person. He's not like us."
Tyson's words highlight the reverence he held for Ali, even while being known for his own brash confidence. The comparison between these two boxing legends continues to captivate fans, especially with Tyson's recent controversial return to the ring against Jake Paul at age 58.
While the debate will likely continue, Holmes' opinion adds weight to the argument that Ali, widely considered the greatest boxer of all time, would have been too much for even the formidable Mike Tyson to handle.
