“I’m a Real Fighter Groupie” Mike Tyson Recalls Being Awed by These Legendary Fighters

It wouldn’t be a stretch to say that Mike Tyson was one of the most formidable boxers in the latter half of the 20th Century. From ‘Kid Dynamite’ to ‘The Baddest Man on the Planet’, Tyson went on delivering enthralling KO punches in his fights throughout his career. The Youngest Boxing Heavyweight Champion reigned the division with just his presence, and everybody wanted to see ‘Iron’ Mike perform on the canvas. Although he had his downs and went through bankruptcy after retirement, Tyson never accepted defeat. His resilience brought him back to his feet.

Tyson even saw his financial downfall coming before it happened. Anyway, everybody feels pumped to encounter this strong personality, and a lot of boxing fans aspire to meet him at least once. One such question was posed by the Cigar & Spirits Magazine, as they got to interview Mike Tyson for a short moment.

Mike Tyson talks about some awe-inspiring fighters

After shooting one of the episodes of Hotboxin’ with Mike Tyson, he was encountered by the Cigar & Spirits Magazine staff who wanted to hold a conversation with the boxing legend. So, at first, the Magazine staff expressed their excitement over meeting the great fighter. They even took a poll on being “the Mount Rushmore of the Heavyweight champions“. Needless to say, 24 out of 25 chose the name ‘Iron’ Mike.

Tyson remained modest during this conversation and labelled himself “overrated“. But then, the interviewer asked him whether there was a boxer who got Tyson pretty excited. Tyson said that this was an easy question and quoted, “Muhammad Ali. My brother Roberto Duran. He was a street fighter. I’m a real fighter groupie. I respect fighters.”

Now, Muhammad Ali’s the reason Tyson jumped into boxing. During his juvenile period, he had met ‘The Greatest’ for the first time. He described his first meeting with Ali on one of the podcasts.

Tyson on seeing Muhammad Ali for the first time

Since his childhood, Tyson had it rough and he indulged in juvenile crimes, be it stealing, mugging, or fighting. During his time at one of the detention centers, Spofford, when he was just a 12-year-old, Mike Tyson saw the magnificent figure of Muhammad Ali. Tyson instantly got motivated by the demeanor of ‘The Champ’ and strived to be like him when he grew up.

He told Drink Champs that when he was just a 12-year-old he decided, “Wow I want to be like him.” These words steered the director inside Tyson into another direction, and when he got transferred to another facility, he met a former professional boxer, Bobby Stewart who trained him with the basics of the ‘sweet science.’ Later, Stewart introduced him to his mentor, Cus D’Amato.

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So, this success story wouldn’t have taken place if Ali didn’t visit Spofford on that particular day. Tyson wouldn’t be an entity, and the world wouldn’t have witnessed the might of ‘The Baddest Man on the Planet’. So no wonder, he was left in awe when he met Muhammad Ali in person. What are your thoughts about this? Tell us in the comments section.

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