‘I Stabbed Somebody And…’: 11-Year-Old Mike Tyson Getting Inspired by Muhammad Ali Due to Unfortunate Incidents Unraveled by the Man Himself

Former world heavyweight champion, Mike Tyson, and heavyweight legend, Muhammad Ali, are undoubtedly two of the most iconic names in the sport of boxing. ‘The Baddest Man on The Planet’ has often spoken about the utmost respect he had for the fabled Ali. In fact, in a recent podcast episode, he recalled meeting the champ as a young boy aged 11.

Tyson was hosting his ‘Hotboxin with Mike Tyson‘ podcast, with Sebastian Joseph-Day, as the co-host. Moreover, rapper and songwriter, Cordae was present as the guest for the episode.

The trio was particularly in conversation about finding their passions as children.

Muhammad Ali’s visit had a profound impact on a young Mike Tyson

A young ‘Iron’ Mike had an exceptionally rough childhood. And often found himself on the wrong side of the law. This, in turn, led to him spending the majority of his childhood in reformatories and juvenile homes. Talking about that time, Tyson said, “A lot of my friends used to get into trouble. And I was getting into trouble too. But I always knew something good was going to happen. That I was going to be something in my life, I always knew it.”

Moreover, he further added, “When I kept going through reformatory, reformatory, and I met, I saw Muhammad Ali came to visit the reformatory. I said wow. And I saw the people going crazy when they seen him. I guess I was 11, I said I want to be just like him.”

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‘The Greatest’ had a profound impact on the young Tyson. And in turn, paved the way for him to become the formidable force that he turned out to be.

Reformatory life made him a champion

While living in a juvenile home is undoubtedly an unpleasant experience. This hard life helped him meet his future mentors, who trained him for greatness.

In the same interview, Tyson also mentioned how he got into boxing. He said, “I got transferred, I stabbed somebody and I got transferred to another facility. And when I was transferred there was a guy that used to be a professional boxer. And was teaching guys to box. When I started boxing and then he took me to my mentor Cus D’Amato and I’m here.”

Notably, Tyson was noticed by former boxer Bobby Stewart at the Tryon School for Boys in Johnstown, New York. He in turn introduced him to Cus D’Amato, who went on to become his trainer and father figure.

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How heartening was Tyson’s experience? Do let us know in the comments below.