Mike Tyson Asked If He Would Beat Anthony Joshua In His Prime

Who would win in a fantasy heavyweight match-up between Mike Tyson and Anthony Joshua?

It turns out 'Iron Mike' doesn't fancy his chances against the "beautiful" Joshua, according to the man himself.

"Hey, I really like him," he said. "You know what he is? He's really a breath of fresh air.

"He's really clean, he really looks clean, he's a clean guy, he's a clean fighter, he's a good puncher.

"You just wish the best for him.

Tyson was then asked whether he could beat the 31-year-old British heavyweight:

"I don't know. My ego says, 'nobody would beat you.' But you look at him and... he just looks beautiful!

"He just looks like a fighter, you know? He looks like he was born to do what he has to do.

"He needs more experience of course, but that will come in life."

Joshua, on the other hand, sees it very differently.

"Mike Tyson would have battered me," he hilariously said back in 2017.

"There was no way I could have taken on that guy. I would have taken that pay cheque. You know what I done against Klitschko in that 6th round when I took that dive? I'm joking.

"I would have taken a dive against Tyson. He was a beast.

"I give all credit and respect to Tyson. Even though Tyson is going on like 50 now, I still remember Tyson as the young, young 21-year-old."

While Joshua is a breath of fresh air according to Tyson, he isn't in his top five fighters right now.

Tyson, 54, revealed that fellow American and former WBC champ Deontay Wilder is one of the current boxers that he 'respects' alongside Tyson Fury.

However, the 'Baddest Man on the Planet' had no place for Joshua in his final three picks.

He said on an episode of Hotboxin' with Mike Tyson: "I respect Tyson Fury, I respect Deontay Wilder, I respect all of those guys.

"Andy Ruiz also, this guy named [Vasyl] Lomachenko -- he's a f*****g animal, man. He's a master, it's like he's dancing.

"There's also Gervonta Davis, there's quite a few guys that are good fighters."

Who do you think would win in a fight between prime Mike Tyson and Anthony Joshua?

Let us know in the comments.

Featured Image Credit: PA Images

Topics: Mike Tyson, Boxing News, Anthony Joshua, Boxing

Nasir Jabbar

Nasir Jabbar is a journalist at SPORTbible. He graduated from Bath Spa University with a BA in Media Communications. He's a combat sport aficionado, and has contributed to MMA websites AddictedMMA and CagePotato. Nasir has covered some of the biggest fights, while interviewing the likes of Conor McGregor, Darren Till, Tyson Fury and Anthony Joshua. He's also an avid Bristol City fan.

@https://twitter.com/NasJabbar