Mike Tyson didn't hesitate when naming the smartest fighter he ever faced in the ring

Mike Tyson has named the smartest fighter from his career that featured wins over Trevor Berbick, Larry Holmes, Frank Bruno and Evander Holyfield, to name a few.

Iron Mike will go down as one of the all-time great heavyweight boxers. He took part in 58 professional bouts between 1985 and 2005, recording 50 wins and just six defeats.

And in that time, he displayed unrivalled power and speed, with his impressive record of 44 victories via knockout being a testament to Tyson's relentless 'Peek-a-boo' style.

So which one of his opponents was the smartest? Buster Douglas shocked the world with a 10th-round KO of Tyson in 1990, and Lennox Lewis recorded a famous knock-out win against Tyson in 2002.

But former heavyweight champion Larry Holmes was the standout opponent when it came to ring intelligence.

When asked to name the smartest he came up against, Tyson told The Ring: “Larry Holmes was the smartest of all. It comes with being a champion for seven years."

The New York-born fighter went on to name Holmes as having the best defence. "Even though I did win inside the distance, he was very tough to hit cleanly," he added.

Tyson, meanwhile, described Jose Ribalta as having the best chin because he he hit the Cuban with "everything" and kept coming back for more, adding: "Ribalta stood toe to toe with me. He was very strong in the clinches."

When asked to name the best puncher he came up against, Tyson replied: “Evander Holyfield. He threw terrific shots with both hands and with bad intentions."

Larry Holmes and Mike Tyson fights for the WBA, WBC and IBF heavyweight tittle on January 22, 1988. Image credit: Getty

Tyson also described Holyfield as a "great champion" who had everything.

The 57-year-old, who returned to action in 2020, when he faced Roy Jones Jr in an entertaining exhibition bout, still thinks the Michael Spinks fight in 1988 was his best performance.

"I kept moving forward and threw a couple of great three-punch combinations," he added. "When I finally caught him on the ropes, I remember turning southpaw in order to throw my right hand to the body and right uppercut.”

Topics: Mike Tyson, Boxing

Jack Kenmare

Senior Journalist at SPORTbible with a passion for long-form journalism. Almost 10 years’ experience across online and print.

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