Mike Tyson couldn't knock out George Foreman in his prime, according to legendary trainer and analyst Teddy Atlas. Atlas claims Foreman is the only heavyweight who could have stopped 'Iron' Mike at the height of his powers.
Atlas shared his thoughts in a recent interview on his YouTube channel. He believes Foreman's style, size advantage, and ability to handle Tyson's power would have led to a knockout victory for 'Big George'.
Tyson's career took off like a rocket. At just 18, he won his first 19 professional fights by stoppage, with 12 of those coming in the first round. By 20, he'd become the youngest heavyweight champion in history, demolishing Trevor Berbick in two rounds for the WBC title. He went on to unify the division, adding the WBA and IBF belts to his collection.
Foreman had his own impressive run in the 1970s, knocking out Joe Frazier twice. After a 10-year break, he returned to the ring in 1987. In 1994, at 45, he shocked the world by knocking out WBA and IBF champion Michael Moorer in the tenth round, becoming the oldest heavyweight champion ever.
Atlas explained his reasoning in the interview:
"Foreman's style was wrong for Mike. It would have been a replay of Foreman vs Frazier fights. Foreman had the right punches to catch Tyson. He had a size advantage and was naturally the bigger guy. Foreman could time Tyson coming in, had a great chin, and could have handled Tyson's left hook."
Despite the intrigue, Tyson and Foreman never faced each other in the ring. Foreman focused solely on chasing belts, and Tyson lost his titles in a sensational upset to Buster Douglas in 1990.
Tyson has expressed regret about not making the fight happen, saying it would have settled the debate on who punched harder.
Sadly, we'll never know for sure how this dream matchup would have played out. The late, great George Foreman passed away, leaving fans to forever wonder about this epic "what if" scenario in boxing history.
