Mike Tyson and George Foreman never got to face each other in the ring. But legendary coach and analyst Teddy Atlas thinks he knows how it would've gone down.
Atlas predicts Foreman would have knocked out Tyson if they'd fought in their primes. He shared his thoughts on his YouTube channel, "The Fight."
You ain't gonna like this Tyson fans … Foreman's style was wrong for Tyson. He would've came in trying to slip and bob and I think it would've been a replay of the fight with Foreman and Frazier, twice, and we all know what happened in that – Foreman knocked him out.
Atlas has unique insight into both fighters. He helped train Tyson early in his career and stood in the opposite corner when Foreman became the oldest heavyweight champion in history by stopping Michael Moorer in 1994.
The fight almost happened in the early 1990s. But plans fell through when Tyson lost his world title to Buster Douglas in a shock upset.
Atlas points to several factors favoring Foreman. He thinks Foreman's size advantage and powerful punches would've caught Tyson coming in. He also believes Foreman's chin could've withstood Tyson's famous left hook.
The matchup reminds Atlas of Foreman's fights against Joe Frazier, where Foreman's style proved too much for the smaller, aggressive fighter.
Foreman's career lasted until 1997 when he lost a close decision to Shannon Briggs just before turning 49. Tyson retired in 2005 after a loss to Kevin McBride.
While we'll never know for sure, Atlas's prediction adds an interesting perspective to one of boxing's great "what if" scenarios.
