Tyson's career took off like a rocket. He knocked out his first 19 opponents within 6 rounds, with 12 of those coming in the first round. At just 20 years old, he became the youngest ever world heavyweight champion. That record still stands nearly 40 years later.
'Iron Mike' faced some of the best in the business. He fought Frank Bruno and Evander Holyfield twice each. He also suffered a historic upset loss to Buster Douglas in Tokyo. The Douglas fight shocked the boxing world and remains one of the biggest upsets in sports history.
Tyson did fight Holmes in 1988, but Holmes was past his prime and making a comeback. Tyson won that bout. Now, Holmes is saying things would have been different if they'd met earlier.
In a recent interview, Holmes, known as 'The Easton Assassin', made a bold claim. He said he would have knocked out Tyson within 3-5 rounds if they'd fought in Holmes' prime.
"Mike, sorry man, I'm just telling you, you're a great guy man, but you can take a punch, you can't take a punch from Larry Holmes though. Man, three or four rounds man, five rounds, I'd get him out of there," Holmes said. "If I got Earnie Shavers out of there, if I got Gerry Cooney out of there, if I got Kenny Norton out of there, if I can get them out of there why can't I get Mike Tyson out of there?"
Holmes, who retired in 2002 with 69 wins from 75 fights, didn't stop there. He also claimed Tyson wouldn't have survived in his era. He said Joe Frazier would beat Tyson at his own style, Muhammad Ali would "slap him all day with the jab", Kenny Norton was too strong for him, and George Foreman would win in two seconds because he hit too hard.
Holmes' opinion might be influenced by his relationship with Ali, who was his mentor. He believes Ali would have beaten Tyson too.
Tyson's recent activities have raised eyebrows. Last November in Texas, at 58 years old, he lost almost every second of an eight-round fight against Jake Paul, a YouTuber turned professional boxer.
Whether Holmes could have beaten Tyson in his prime will always be a topic for debate. But one thing's for sure - both fighters left an indelible mark on heavyweight boxing history.