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 previously 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."

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

Tyson was originally set to take on YouTuber turned boxer Jake Paul on July 20 but the fight has been rescheduled after the 57-year-old suffered a medical scare.

Instead, the fight will now take place at the AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas on November 15.

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