When one goes back over boxing history the names Muhammad Ali and ‘Sugar’ Ray Robinson are perhaps two of the best fighters that ever lived.
Certainly in most people’s top five fighters of all time.
Another legend of the sport and the youngest heavyweight champion ever Mike Tyson took a lot from both fighters during his career and has now spoke about what he really thinks on the two men as fighters.
Speaking on his podcast ‘HotBoxin with Mike Tyson’ he said:
“In my situation it wasn’t about money (that inspired me to become a fighter). It wasn’t about my upbringing. I wanted to be Ali, I wanted to be Duran. I wanted to be them. I was envious of them. I was jealous of them. I didn’t know what the f*** I was going to do when I got there but I wanted to be them.”
He went on:
“I was a hero worshipper I used to look up to these guys. Fuck. I would do anything for them. Go to the store for them.”
On Sugar Ray Robinson, Tyson said:
“Robinson was a monster too. I wasn’t in the era but this guy had 40 fights that he won all in a row and the 41st he lost then he won 93 in a row after that. God damn! 93 in a row?! He like had 127 fights with 1 loss. Hahahaha. 95 knockouts! 95 knockouts?!”
On Muhammad Ali, Tyson said:
“A fighter like Ali, When he was an old guy there was no quit in him. It was like fighting a pit bull. You got to kill him to beat him. He’s not going to give up. When he was older and he was getting beat up on the ropes by (Larry) Holmes he wasn’t going to stop. He wasn’t going to quit. You’ve got to kill him. Inhuman stuff (the punishment he could take). And then (after that) beat your a**. Yeah man, we all have to learn from adversities in life.”
He concluded:
“Fighting Ali you have to remember one thing, forget everything else, the left hook, right hand, the jab, remember one thing — you’re going to go 15 rounds (the distance). You’re not knocking him out. Listen, he’ll dance a little bit for 10, 12 rounds, then he’s going to fight you like an animal for the last 3 rounds. Then he’s going to start lacing you. His punches are coming from everywhere, all angles. Wearing these big giants down.”
