‘I can’t match that’ – Mike Tyson doesn’t hesitate when asked who was most powerful puncher in boxing
MIKE TYSON is regarded by many to be one of the most ferocious punchers of all time.
But the boxing legend humbly admits he’s NOT the hardest hitter to have graced the heavyweight division.
Iron Mike knocked out all but two of his 28 opponents during his incredible run to the WBC heavyweight title in 1986, which he won at the tender age of 20.
The power he displayed in his destructive highlight reel gave his diehard fans hope he could knock out Jake Paul in his ring return last November.
Tyson has long taken great pride in his crushing body of work but is adamant the power he showcased paled in comparison to one of his predecessors.
When asked to name the hardest-hitting heavyweight ever, he told Fight Camp: “[It’s George Foreman].
“I can’t match somebody’s power who’s that big and that much man.
“Only thing that allowed me to be exciting was that I did it faster than the other guys.”
Foreman stopped all but one of his 38 opponents on his way to winning the unified heavyweight titles against Joe Fraizer in 1973.
The Olympic gold medallist was renowned for decimating his opponents with ferocious hooks, particularly to the body, after putting them on the back foot.
That strategy, however, failed him in October 1974 when fought Muhammad Ali in the ‘Rumble in the Jungle’, which he lost via an eighth-round TKO.
Like Foreman, power came naturally to Tyson – who still, to this day, is the youngest heavyweight champion in history.
But the 58-year-old insists: “Nothing about me was natural.
“Only my desire to win was natural, I had a great teacher.
“Only you can do that. You’re born with it but somebody has to elicit that.”
Tyson suffered a unanimous decision defeat in his controversial crossover clash with Paul last November.
He refused to rule out the prospect of lacing up his gloves again but was quickly OVERRULED by his wife, Lakiha.