British heavyweight boxing has seen some true giants in recent years, with Tyson Fury and Anthony Joshua standing tall among them. Both men have achieved great success—Fury as an undefeated world champion with remarkable boxing IQ, and Joshua as a powerhouse who unified multiple titles. However, not everyone is convinced they would have stood a chance against the legends of the past.
One such legend, often cited as the most fearsome of them all, is Mike Tyson. A wrecking ball in his prime, Tyson was a blend of speed, power, and aggression rarely seen in the sport. With a brutal knockout record and an aura of invincibility in the late 1980s, he tore through the heavyweight division with ruthless efficiency. Some believe that if Fury or Joshua had stepped into the ring with Tyson during his peak, they would have been “bashed to bits.”
The argument largely comes down to styles. Fury is a masterful boxer, known for his slick movement, defensive skills, and ability to frustrate opponents. His awkward style has made him difficult to hit cleanly, even against hard punchers like Deontay Wilder. However, Tyson was no ordinary power puncher. He had remarkable head movement, an explosive ability to close distance, and a relentless attack that overwhelmed taller, rangier fighters. Unlike Wilder, who relied on a single punch, Tyson had a varied arsenal, a granite chin, and the ability to cut off the ring. Fury may have had the height and reach advantage, but against a prime Tyson, it’s questionable whether he could have kept him at bay for twelve rounds.
As for Joshua, his strengths lie in his athleticism, technical fundamentals, and knockout power. But his weaknesses have been exposed in fights against Andy Ruiz Jr. and Oleksandr Usyk. Joshua has struggled when opponents apply pressure, especially those with fast hands. Against a prime Tyson, who threw combinations with devastating force, Joshua’s vulnerability to being hit cleanly could have been his downfall. Unlike Ruiz, who caught Joshua with counterpunches, Tyson would have been pressing forward, throwing hooks and uppercuts in a way that Joshua had never faced before.
Of course, comparisons between eras are always tricky. Fighters today are bigger, more scientifically conditioned, and have access to modern training techniques. Fury, at 6’9″ and around 270 pounds, is far larger than the heavyweights Tyson faced in his prime. Some argue that the sheer size and strength of modern champions would be too much for a smaller fighter like Tyson, who was only 5’10”. However, history shows that Tyson dominated larger opponents, cutting through them with speed and explosiveness.
Ultimately, while Fury and Joshua are great champions in their own right, there’s a strong case to be made that against a prime Mike Tyson, they would have been overwhelmed. His combination of speed, power, and relentless aggression was something neither man has ever encountered. While styles make fights, it’s hard to argue that Tyson wouldn’t have been a nightmare for them both.