Former boxing world heavyweight champion Larry Holmes has said British-Nigerian boxer Anthony Joshua would have knocked out the legendary Mike Tyson when he was in his prime.
Holmes, who held the world title from 1978 until 1985, was once a Tyson victim when he was knocked out in the fourth round of their title fight in New Jersey January 22, 1988.
Now 73, the International Boxing Hall of Fame and World Boxing Hall of Fame inductee and only man to defeat Muhammad Ali by stoppage, is making a bold claim for Joshua.
Holmes believes that the fellow former champion would have been able to knock Tyson out in his prime.
Joshua is a two-time former unified world heavyweight champion, having held the World Boxing Association super, International Boxing Federation and World Boxing Organization titles.
Tyson (50-6-2, 44 knockouts) is regarded as arguably the greatest fighter in boxing, gaining notoriety for his early knockout wins and intimidating aura.
“If he fought a guy like Mike Tyson, he’d win, he would have knocked out a prime Mike Tyson. There’s no reckon about it. Mike Tyson went down low and then came up and tried to throw roundhouses. But Joshua would just hit him with a straight right hand on the side of his damn chin and Mike wouldn’t get up,” Holmes said.
“He never fought anyone who was coming up and trying to make their way in the sport. He just went in there – bang, bang, bang and knocked everyone out. That’s how he got the reputation as a puncher.
“I’m not taking anything away from Mike Tyson, he kicked my a**. But I was out for two years, I had quit boxing, I hadn’t done anything for two years apart from sing with the band and travel.”
