Boxing manager Shelly Finkel has tried to compare the punching power of current client Deontay Wilder and former client Mike Tyson but simply could not split the two powerhouses.
Finkel is known for taking Tyson under his wing following the legend’s loss via disqualification for biting Evander Holyfield’s ear in their 1997 clash.
In the present, he manages current heavyweight juggernaut Wilder and as a result of the pairing he’s had a front row view of some of the most devastating knockouts in boxing history.
Finkel described the differences between their power using each man’s frame, with Iron standing 5ft 10in and the Bronze Bomber at 6ft 7in as a talking point.
He said to SunSport: “Deontay to me is a large Tommy Hearns. And he has a certain spring to his punches.
“Tyson, it’s from his legs. He has massive thighs and it’s coming from there.
“And the speed. So, they’re very different. I wouldn’t want to be hit by either!
U.S. boxer Mike Tyson throws a punch during a sparring round with trainer Stacey McKinney at a makeshift gym in his hotel January 25. Tyson will fight British champion Julius Francis in Manchester on January 29.
DJM
“When Tyson beat Spinks, it was devastating. And Spinks after said, ‘The thing I misjudged was how fast he was.’”
The 36-year-old Wilder is known for his ability to turn a fight around when he looks down and out in a flash, just as he did in his encounter with Luis Ortiz in 2019.
Tyson, now 56, needed to get off to a quick start out the blocks, but he didn’t need much time destroy and break down his opponents at all.
Finkel continued talking about their differences, stating: “Deontay always has the equaliser. He could be down, but all of a sudden, out of nowhere, boom, it’s over.
NEW YORK, NY - JANUARY 16: Deontay Wilder punches Artur Szpilka during their WBC Heavyweight Championship bout at Barclays Center on January 16, 2016 in Brooklyn borough of New York City. (Photo by Mike Stobe/Getty Images)
“Mike was just a destructive machine coming at you. And you can’t keep him off you, it’s all over.”
The Hall of Famer Finkel saw Tyson retire in 2005 following two monumental defeats.
A decade later, Wilder emerged as America’s next best heavyweight and was signed to Finkel’s management team.
The Bronze Bomber became WBC heavyweight champion in January 2015, defending the belt 10 times before losing it to Tyson Fury in 2020 and he recently lost to The Gypsy King again in October of last year.
Wilder has not stepped inside the ring since, but is due to return on October 15 to square off with former sparring partner Robert Helenius.