Ali's Prediction: Foreman Over Tyson By A Ko

GREENWICH, Conn. - Muhammad Ali has spoken.

George Foreman will defeat Mike Tyson if the two meet in the ring.

The former three-time heavyweight champion of the world made the prediction recently while dining with friends in Greenwich.

``George Foreman will knock out Mike Tyson,'' Ali said. ``He will annihilate him. Foreman will knock Tyson out in four or five rounds.''

Ali said he has not been paying much attention to the comeback of Foreman, whom he knocked out in eight rounds 16 years ago in Kinshasa, Zaire, to win the heavyweight title for the second time. He is, however, one of only two boxers to defeat Foreman (Jimmy Young is the other) and knows Foreman's style as well as anyone.

Foreman retired in 1976, but after a 10-year layoff began fighting again. At 42, Foreman has a 66-2 record and has won all 21 of his comeback fights, 20 by knockout.

Foreman and Tyson, 22, have not formally signed to fight. They are, however, scheduled to appear on the same June 16 card in Las Vegas, Nev.

Tyson, who lost the heavyweight title to James ``Buster'' Douglas Feb. 10, will fight Henry Tillman. Tillman defeated Tyson as an amateur in the 1984 U.S. Olympic Trials. Foreman will take on Adilson Rodrigues of Brazil, the first ranked opponent Foreman will have faced in his comeback. If Tyson and Foreman win - they are heavily favored - they could meet in the fall.

Ali said a Foreman victory over Tyson could be explained in simple terms - Foreman's size and punching power are too much for the former champion to handle. Foreman is 6 feet 3 and 260 pounds. Tyson is 5-10 and fights at about 218.

Ali said Tyson's relentless style could prove to be his downfall.

``Foreman is taller, has more reach and Tyson comes right in,'' Ali said. ``Foreman will use his reach and wait for Tyson to come right in. Then, Foreman will tag him.''

Ali dispelled the age factor by adding: ``The longer it goes, the more chances Foreman will have to tag him.''

Ali said Foreman is much more seasoned than Tyson because of the caliber of competition Foreman faced in his prime. ``Back in the '70s,'' Ali said, ``we had fighters like Joe Frazier and Ken Norton, just like we had guys like Sonny Liston in the '60s.''

Ali knocked out Liston to win the heavyweight title for the first time in 1963.

``Now the fighters aren't as good. Foreman would knock out Douglas with one punch. . . .''

At 47, Ali has slowed noticeably since being diagnosed as having Parkinson's disease in the early 1980s.

He speaks slowly and deliberately, but there still were flashes of the old Ali. Steveral times during his restaurant visit he got up to entertain with playful jabs. Autograph requests were frequent, and Ali graciously accommodated everyone who asked.

He said he did not watch the replay of his fight with Foreman, which was televised on NBC April 21.

But he does occasionally think about what happened that early morning in Africa in 1974. Ali, then 32, was about a 5-1 underdog against Foreman, then 26, and the unbeaten heavyweight champion. Foreman had defeated Joe Frazier in two rounds the year before to win the title.

But Ali, using his ``rope-a-dope'' tactic, tired out Foreman. Ali laid back on the ropes and in the final 30 seconds of each round lashed out with strong punches to Foreman's face. Finally, near the end of the eighth round, Ali threw a hard right to Foreman's face. Foreman, exhausted and his left eye nearly closed, caught the punch flush on the jaw and went down for the first time in his career. He was counted out by referee Zack Clayton.

``I think about that fight every once in a while,'' Ali said. ``I even think I was ahead at the time of the knockout. I hit him with more clean shots.''