Two-time world heavyweight champion Tim Witherspoon would back Mike Tyson to score an easy knockout victory over Deontay Wilder - had the two boxers been matched in their respective primes.

During his world title run with the WBC belt, Wilder criticized the heavyweights of the past - specifically Tyson.

"If you go back, and I want somebody to answer this question for me, how many Hall of Fame fighters did Mike Tyson actually fight?" Wilder said.

"How many Hall of Fame fighters did Mike Tyson actually fight? Don’t bring up no Michael Spinks who came from light heavyweight to heavyweight, that was terrified out of his motherf--king boots.

"And don’t bring up Larry Holmes because we already know Larry was way past his prime, so how many of them? We gonna do all work today goddamn, I’mma take y’all motherf--kers to school because y’all don’t know nothing about what you’re talking about."

Tyson is a Hall of Famer and former undisputed heavyweight champion. He was the youngest man to capture the heavyweight crown.

Witherspoon, who was a sparring partner of Muhammad Ali, is very confident in Tyson's ability to blast past Wilder had they fought.

"Mike Tyson would have knocked Wilder out had they fought," Witherspoon said to The Sun. "I think Mike would have definitely done that.

"I don’t think Wilder's right hand would be enough at all. It would've been an easy knock out for Mike, in fact. Only because Wilder doesn't have a great defense and he throws that right hand all the time. You need more than that in your arsenal to knock out Mike. In anything to do with fighting I’d pick Mike all the way. Talking about who could beat who, I think Mike would just walk over him and take him out.

"Wilder is in no position to criticise Mike Tyson or anybody. I think that’s a little bit too fast, just because he has all these knock outs he shouldn't still be criticising. In terms of which direction he should be going in, I think his management needs to concentrate on him in the gym. Instead of Wilder going on Twitter and going on these other platforms criticising Mike Tyson’s record, he needs to get himself together and then do the talking.

"He’s not Muhammad Ali, he’s not George Foreman, so I say get out there and train and good in the ring and then you can talk about Mike Tyson. That’s my opinion."