Heavyweight legend Mike Tyson is regarded by many as the most brutal knockout artist in boxing history. However, ‘Iron Mike’ himself has admitted that he could not match the power of another former champion of the division.
Tyson famously became the youngest heavyweight champion of all time when he quickly dismissed of reigning WBC titleholder Trevor Berbick in 1986 inside two rounds.
From that point onwards, Tyson-mania swept the globe as fans flocked to see the Brooklyn-born sensation unify the three titles to become the undisputed champion and brutally topple any challenger deemed worthy enough to face him.
That run was brought to an end by a shocking defeat to James ‘Buster’ Douglas in 1990, but Tyson’s initial reign as heavyweight ruler is still considered as one of the most devastating and dominant periods in the long history of boxing’s ‘glamour division’.
Nevertheless, in an resurfaced YouTube interview, Tyson declared that he still considers George Foreman as the heaviest puncher to have ever laced up the gloves.
“George Foreman used to just hit the bag [endlessly during training], that was how he worked out.
“[He was a] heavy puncher. Yeah, [he was the heaviest puncher in boxing history].
“I can’t match somebody’s power who is that big with that much mass. The only thing that allowed me to be exciting was because I threw it [punches] faster than the other guys.”
Foreman retired with a professional record of 76-5, with 68 wins coming via stoppage, and boasted one of the most extraordinary comebacks in sporting history but sadly passed away earlier this year.
