IF EVER YOU needed reminding that boxing is a sport where you are better off trusting your eyes rather than your ears, then here is a prime example.
Tyson Fury believes he is better not just than Mike Tyson but also Muhammad Ali. As if he hadn’t stretched the limits of credibility far enough, Fury then boasted that he was the greatest fighter of all time.
“There isn’t a heavyweight from any era in the last a thousand years that could’ve tackled me or beat me,” Fury said in an interview with BT Sport.
“Never mind Mike Tyson from the 80s, Muhammad Ali, Joe Louis, Lennox Lewis, George Foreman, Ken Norton, Rocky Marciano, Floyd Patterson, Gene Tunney, Jem Mace, John L. Sullivan.
Going right back to the beginning, not one of them could’ve beaten the Gypsy King. I’m too big, I’m too good and I’ve got too many styles for them. I’m an adapter and they couldn’t even beat me anyway.
“I’m the greatest fighter that has ever lived. Never mind heavyweight, greatest fighter that’s ever lived. How about that for a bit of modesty?”
He’s wouldn’t even make a list of the top ten boxers to come out of Tuam!
Clown.A man that has respect and admiration for Kinahan deserves no respect from anyone.Saunders,Ben Davison and all MTK fighters can be added to that list
@John Fagan: a thick b ollix
@John Fagan: Looks like Fury’s been sampling some of “Kinnerhan’s” product. Tyson would dance rings around him.
He probably would of with the level of trianing, nutrition, and sheer size of the man no heavy weight would stand a chance
@Pretty Ladee: thats what i would think too. He is a skilful very large man. Unlike Valulev a few years back, he had no skill. Ali wasn’t that big , Tyson was small too
@Pretty Ladee: compared to most sports, training, nutrition and preparation in boxing haven’t moved on hugely in the past 50 years. The move from 15 to 12 rounds for championship bouts has meant fighters don’t have to hold as much back. Go and look at any Tyson fight in the late 80s, and also his comeback fights after Buster Douglas and you’ll see he would play with Fury like a cat with a mouse. As for Ali, Fury is delusional or, more likely, knowingly full of bull.
@Joe O: maybe moved on less than other sports but has still moved on a large amount, as much as I wouldn’t like to admit it, Fury is largely correct, he’d beat Ali and he’d beat Tyson comfortably. Nowadays in order to be competitive you need to be at least 6’4 but with no less speed. Prime Klitschko has a good chance or you could make make and argument for prime Lennox Lewis to beat Fury but before that, I don’t think there are any that could lay a glove on him, and you could still argue he beats Lewis or Klitschko as well as everyone else.
@John Black: “Fury is largely correct, he’d beat Ali and he’d beat Tyson comfortably”
How do you come to that conclusion? The only notable wins on Fury’s resume are against a disinterested and way over the hill Wlad Klitschko and Wilder, a heavyweight with absolutely no skills apart from a thunderous right cross.
Fury’s boxing skills are very much over rated. He’s nothing more then a lanky spoiler and hits like a featherweight. Any of the greats of the past would beaten him hands down and Lennox Lewis, due to his similar height, would have annihilated him.
Both Klitschkos in their prime would have also destroyed him.
Fury is a pantomine boxer who is lucky he plies his trade during one of the many lull periods in heavyweight boxing.
Let’s face it, he’s far more entertaining out of the ring then in it.
@Will: Fury is like a foot taller than Tyson and twice the size of Ali too. I’d say Wilder (although a limited boxer) would probably knock out Tyson and Ali, boxing has come a long way.
It’s easy to say someone is fighting in a bad period just because they’re comfortably the best.
Lennox Lewis is similar height? Lewis is like 6’4, Fury is 6’9, that’s a significant difference.
I can accept an argument that Lewis or Klitschko would beat him but I also think it could be argued that Fury would beat them, and I think all 3 beat anyone during the 50s, 60s, 70s, 80s and 90s, due to superior size and conditioning.
It’s easy to look back with nostalgia of boxers gone by but it’s just the way sport goes, across nearly all sports the top guys now would comfortably beat the greats of the past.
@John Black: wilder would ko Ali and Tyson ? Trolling I hope !
@Will: agree with the lull in division now but Tyson was top in a massive lull aswell, he fought boxers with beer bellies, Ali diff story Norton/frazer/foreman/cooper fury’s none of them, but Tyson fought 2 decent fighters Lewis Holyfield and he his spanked by both.
@John Black: Nearly everyone Tyson fought was taller than him. Among the “Iron Mike” hype it’s often forgotten how he could box. Ali fought much bigger fighters in Foreman and Liston at the end of his career and he effectively invented the fast lighter heavyweight. Fury is tall, has a good defence and a good chin when that fails him, but he’s not a finisher like Tyson and for Ali: he was called “The Greatest” for a reason.
@Joe O: nearly everyone he fought was like 3/4 inches taller than him, not nearly a foot taller, Tyson v Fury would look very similar to AJ v Ruiz, could argue Ruiz is more technically gifted but AJ just stuck him on the end of a jab and won on points.
If Tyson was around today you could argue he’d be undisputed cruiserweight champ but if he stepped up to heavyweight he’d be dwarfed in size and be a meer contender.
He doesn’t need to be a finisher when his stature would allow him to negate all boxing ability of Tyson or Ali for an easy points win.
@Pretty Ladee: tyson ali .prime george foreman prime joe louis , lennox lewis, they fought the best of the best.boxers not shite boxers for 16 fights hand picked.hes beaten wilder a street fighter and a top 40 all time heavyweight not in his prime in klitchko he does joshua and usyk then hes up there
Starting the PR early for the Joshua fights. 6 to 8 months of this
Once he mentioned his ties to a drug lord I’ve no time for him anymore.
@Bio_Man: you’ve a little bit of time though
Iron Mike would have destroyed him
Must be back on the auld púdar bán.
What you’ve just said is one of the most insanely idiotic things I have ever heard. At no point in your rambling, incoherent response were you even close to anything that could be considered a rational thought. Everyone in this room is now dumber for having listened to it. I award you no points, and may God have mercy on your soul.
@kieran: hope the meds kick in soon.
@kieran: at least Fury has won multiple titles and has never been beaten professionally. This god you’re talking about is a bigger spoof than George Weahs cousin at Southampton
@kieran: Nice quote. Need to watch that movie again
@Fr Romeo sensini.: its a reference to the movie Billy Madison
I think a man who backs a drug dealing gangster shows very little sense. This statement simply confirms that he’s not the sharpest tool in the box.
The best of a bad lot!
Like him or not, he’s up there…
Anyone who takes what any boxer says seriously needs to consult the doctors it’s called fighting talk for a reason .
This man is undefeated as a heavyweight boxer until he’s beaten we can mouth away fair play to him
Tyson in his prime would have slaughtered this fool