When Mike Tyson faced off against Jake Paul, like a fan rooting for an underdog in a fairytale comeback, Joe Rogan was all in on the heavyweight legend. The fight itself had all the makings of a spectacle. At 58 years old, ‘Iron Mike’ stepped into the ring to face ‘The Problem Child’, three decades his junior. It was Netflix’s debut in combat sports, drawing a staggering 65 million viewers worldwide. Rogan, one of them, couldn’t contain his excitement as he shared on X, “I’m getting ready to watch this Tyson vs Jake Paul fight like I’m watching someone cast a spell that I hope actually works. And I don’t really believe in magic. But I want to believe.”

But when Tyson fell short in a unanimous decision, the UFC color commentator’s disillusionment was clear. His three-word reaction? “Magic isn’t real.” Yet, even in defeat, the legendary boxer has remained Rogan’s heavyweight hero as he recently shared why no boxing ‘heavyweight Mount Rushmore’ is complete without ‘Iron Mike’ even if it means leaving out Muhammad Ali!

Joe Rogan cements Mike Tyson’s place on his list of boxing heavyweight greatness  

During a recent conversation on the JRE (Joe Rogan Experience) no. 2242 with guest Bert Sorin, Rogan revisited Tyson’s legacy. The JRE host stated, “That’s my heavyweight… my heavyweight all-timer. He’s the guy that’s like… I feel like Tyson in his prime, you have to have him on the Mount Rushmore. You want to have Jack Dempsey, you want to have Joe Frazier, you want… I mean it’s like a lot of guys who are really good. “

At just 20 years, 4 months, and 22 days old, Tyson shattered records, becoming the youngest boxer ever to win a heavyweight title. His youth didn’t just add to his physical explosiveness—it made him a cultural phenomenon. Tyson didn’t just fight; he conquered, becoming the first heavyweight to simultaneously hold the WBA, WBC, and IBF titles and the only man to accomplish the remarkable feat of unifying them in succession.

As such, while the JRE host acknowledged other greats like Muhammad Ali, he insisted, “For me the one you can’t remove is Tyson. So there’s a bunch of other ones, Lennox Lewis in his prime was f**king amazing. Larry Holmes doesn’t get the credit he deserves in his prime, there’s a lot of guys who are really good heavyweight champions but you have to have Tyson. Everything else is negotiable.”

Tyson’s reign as the undisputed world heavyweight champion from 1987 to 1990 showcased his unique ability to combine ferocious punching power with uncanny precision. His first 19 professional fights ended in knockouts, with 12 of them over in the first round, leaving fans and opponents alike in awe of his devastating efficiency and thunderous combinations.

However, ‘Iron Mike’s career was not without its setbacks. In 1990, his shocking knockout loss to underdog Buster Douglas became one of the most significant upsets in boxing history. Yet, Tyson’s prime, as highlighted by Joe Rogan, remains a benchmark for excellence in heavyweight boxing. So, how would he fare against another legendary heavyweight from a different era? Joe Rogan’s answer just might surprise you!

Rogan confesses Muhammad Ali wouldn’t ‘survive’ against Tyson “at his best”  

What if the two legends, Muhammad Ali and Mike Tyson, had ever faced off in their prime? Would the ‘Baddest Man on the Planet’ have been able to knock out the man many consider to be the greatest boxer of all time? During the conversation with Bert Sorin, Joe Rogan pondered the same question.

The UFC color commentator confessed, ”When I look at boxers, I try to see them as when they were red hot, burning, at the highest level they could reach. I feel that, as great as Muhammad Ali was, I don’t see him surviving against Tyson at his best.”

While Ali’s legacy stands on its own as a measuring stick for greatness with wins over names like Sonny Liston, Joe Frazier, and George Foreman, Rogan believes Tyson was a different beast. Why? He further stated, “Tyson was a phenomenon, he was something very unusual because all the other heavyweights were a bit slow and even if they could hit hard, they were clumsy. He swung, moved and staggered, and he was a small heavyweight. He wasn’t even six feet tall, so he’s built like a brick house, he’s got a twenty-inch neck. He weighs 220 pounds and moves like a guy who weighs 150.’

While Ali’s unparalleled achievements and cultural impact are undeniably legendary, Joe Rogan sees Mike Tyson’s sheer power, speed, and ferocity as elements that set him apart. ‘Iron Mike’ wasn’t just a heavyweight—he was a phenomenon, and even in the shadow of other greats, he remains the one figure Rogan insists cannot be removed from boxing’s highest pedestal. So, would Tyson have triumphed over Muhammad Ali in their primes? What do you think? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below!