If two of the most feared boxers of all time went head-to-head in a street fight, who would come out on top? When discussing the greatest boxers of all time, certain names always pop up. Regardless of the generation who saw them active or weight class, the names remain the same. So, hypothetically, if ‘Iron’ Mike Tyson were to come face-to-face with Floyd Mayweather down a dark alleyway - who do you think would come out on top?
While all professional boxers have a macho man-bravado with larger-than-life personalities, those two were real-life superstars, who backed their chat in the ring. Despite the similarities they share personality wise, these likenesses did not spill over into their boxing style.
Mike Tyson & Floyd Mayweather's Boxing Styles
Mike Tyson
Mike Tyson, born and raised on the mean streets of Brooklyn, was introduced to violence and brawling at a very young age. ‘Iron Mike’ harnessed his experiences on the street when he took to the ring, and was capable of destroying the hopes and dreams of his opponents with a single punch.
Despite being one of the most successful heavyweight fighters of all time, he didn’t really look like one. Standing at just under 6ft, he lacked the height and reach of his opponents. Tyson was known for his peek-a-boo style of boxing - ducking and weaving his way through his opponent’s attacks before landing the crucial, devastating blow that sent them to sleep.
A style that would be easy enough to effectively transition into a street fight, added to any previous experience he may have in street brawls. His fantasy opponent, Floyd Mayweather, might have a slight disadvantage in this instance.
Floyd Mayweather
If Mike Tyson was a hungry lion, Mayweather would be the elegant gazelle, known for his incredible knack of dodging his opponent with his outstanding reflexes and knowledge of how to get around the ring. That is no slight on ‘Money’ Mayweather as a fighter - he is arguably the most successful boxer of the modern era - but there are different weight classes for a reason. And ‘The Baddest Man on Planet Earth’ thinks he could make light work of Floyd in a street fight.
“I would kick Floyd’s a**... there wouldn’t even be no match," said Tyson in an interview with GQ.
Despite backing his brawn in a street fight, Tyson would be less confident if the two were to meet in the ring at Floyd’s weight. He surprisingly revealed that if the two had met in the ring between 147 and 154 pounds, he thinks that Mayweather would’ve come out victorious.
In the same GQ interview, he conceded: “(If) I was his size in the ring, he would probably outpoint me.”
|
Mike Tyson & Floyd Mayweather's professional boxing records (as of 28/08/24) |
||
|---|---|---|
|
Mike Tyson |
Floyd Mayweather |
|
|
Fights |
58 |
50 |
|
Wins |
50 |
50 |
|
Losses |
6 |
0 |
|
No contests |
2 |
0 |
Fantasy street fight aside, it is obvious that Mike Tyson holds Floyd Mayweather in high regard, and the two will go down as two of the most iconic and successful boxers of the modern era. And who knows, with the state of some match-ups we have seen in the boxing world recently, this dream bout could one day become reality…
