The venue: Madison Square Garden
Odds: Muhammad Ali ($1.80 with Sportsbet.com.au) vs. Mike Tyson: ($1.90 with WilliamHill.com.au)
Will the fight go the distance?: No ($1.78 with Bet365.com.au)
How will the fight end: TKO or KO ($2.00 with Crownbet)
The premise: In our sports imagination series, we’ll take a look at some of the greatest teams and sports men and women ever to display their athletic prowess and, using our time machine, pit them against each other at the peak of their powers in imaginary match ups. Let us know if you think we got it right
WHEN you talk boxing, there are two names that come to mind faster than any other.
These two men that have transcended the sport and elevated their status from mere fighters to demi-Gods.
Mike Tyson and Muhammad Ali.
The two men are set to clash on the world stage of Madison Square Garden before a worldwide audience that is set to smash every viewership record imaginable.
If Floyd Mayweather vs. Manny Pacquiao was the fight of the century – this is the fight of the millennium.
Madison Square Garden sold out in under 30 seconds once the tickets went on sale, halving the previous record set by Taylor Swift for the fastest ever sell out of the iconic venue back in 2009.
The fight is predicted to break all previous Pay Per View records. An unthinkable one billion dollar revenue mark in America alone is anticipated.
This will be like no other event in our lifetime.
The fight was announced almost a year in advance, but that did not stop the two men from trading barbs shortly after the date was set.
Never one to back away from a microphone, Ali had some choice words for his opponent.
“I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, I am the greatest, I said that even before I knew I was,” Ali said.
“Little Mikey wants to call himself the ‘Kid Dynamite’ – but guess what? I’m faster than lightning and hotter than hell.”
“When I cut the fuse on the Dynamite there will be nothing left but a kid.”
“And ain’t nobody scared of a kid.”
If Ali’s words were meant to intimidate Tyson, nobody told him.
Kid Dynamite was his typical firebrand self at the pre-fight press conference, saying he will put Ali’s ‘head on a stick’.
“He may talk the talk, but when it comes to walking it; he has never seen someone like me.” Tyson said.
“My skill is exceptional, my defence is impenetrable, Ali ain’t ever seen a fighter like me.”
“Faster than lightning? I’m the lightning rod that will take his absolute best shots and channel it back with a brutality reserved for my fiercest enemies.”
“Hotter than hell? I will show the man just what it means to endure the heat of a thousand suns.”
“I may have been inspired to step into a ring after watching Ali, but ending his career will mean I finish as the undisputed greatest of all-time.”
Our Predictions
Fight result: Tyson via KO ($3.25 with Sportsbet)
When will the fight end: Round 4 (7.35 with William Hill)
While Tyson has experience fighting bouts over 15 rounds, he is not as accustomed to them as his opponent Ali.
‘Iron’ Mike always relies on his spectacular power and speed to end a fight early, will this work against the man who floats like a butterfly?
Ali is the master of going the distance and tiring his more powerful opponents out, rather than depending on his speed of blitzing jabs and uppercuts on his fatigued opponent.
Ali has fought fighters that have similar attributed to Tyson, (Sonny Liston and George Foreman) but those two men never possessed the blistering speed of the Dynamite Kid.
Tyson’s speed will catch Ali off guard; the question is, whether he can land the killer blow to end the bout?
Ali has the ability to adapt and make Tyson chase him around the ring, so Mike’s best shot at beating him is to end the fight within the opening five rounds.
Ali will have to rely on Tyson’s volatility to win this fight.
There is no doubt he has the skill set to pick apart Tyson as the fight wears on, and Mike has shown in the past that his frustrations can get the better of him – as evidenced by his mid-fight snack of Evander Holyfield.
This is a true toss of the coin fight, but the edge goes to Mike Tyson.
Mike Tyson’s ability to not only land powerful blows, but also evade and weave in and out of short range punches gives him a significant advantage over Muhammad Ali.
Ali will have to stretch the fight beyond the eighth round, and if he is able to do so he will be victorious – but Tyson’s killer blows will most likely quell his ability to do so.
Tyson will have to do what only one man has done before him – knock Ali out, but we believe he can do it.
This is a battle of the titans and will definitely live up to the billing of ‘Fight of the Millennium’, but we are favouring Tyson to come out on top.
