Shannon Briggs once named Frans Botha as the hardest puncher he had ever faced — but who did Botha regard as the best fighter he ever fought?
Botha, like Briggs, competed in an era stacked with dangerous heavyweights. America in particular was overflowing with talent, boasting far more genuine contenders than we see today.
The South African threw himself into the American scene from his third professional fight and spent more than half his career boxing Stateside. Across his 63 fights, there was a five-year spell in which he met Axel Schulz, Michael Moorer, Mike Tyson, Briggs, Evander Holyfield and Lennox Lewis.
Then, in 2002, ‘The White Buffalo’ stood up to ‘Dr Steelhammer’ Wladimir Klitschko for eight rounds before being stopped by the WBO heavyweight champion. It was his fourth and final failed world-title attempt.
But of all the big names, who did Botha consider the best? He revealed his answer in an interview with British Boxing TV.
“A lot of people ask me who’s the best fighter and I always say Mike because Mike’s got the image, the aggressiveness, everybody knew him.
At the beginning of my career I fought against Themba Msweli, a guy from South Africa. A fight that is not known and he gave me the hardest fight of my life.”
Tyson vs Botha took place on January 16, 1999, at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, arriving 19 months after ‘Iron’ Mike infamously bit a chunk out of Evander Holyfield’s ear in their rematch.
Past his best, Tyson still carried enough power to flatten a contender of Botha’s level — and did so with a venomous right hand that ended the fight in round five.
