Mike Tyson Says “There Never Would’ve Been Me” if Muhammad Ali Hadn’t Committed a Major Mistake

‘Iron’ Mike Tyson recently talked about what pushed him towards achieving greatness in boxing.

When asked about the one victory that excited him the most, Tyson pointed at the Larry Holmes fight. He explained that victory meant a lot to him; he had lived up to his promise of avenging Muhammad Ali’s loss.

“Larry Holmes, because he beat Ali up real bad. I was on the phone, Cus knew Ali, so I talked to Ali the day after he fought Holmes and Cus asked I have this young black kid, he’s going to be champion, I want you to talk to him.

“I’m crying on the phone, he said I’m gonna be back and I’m gonna fight Holmes again and I’m going to knock him out. I’m like when I’m big I’m going to get him for you and he must’ve been like hey kid you know who I am, the greatest of all time, this and this.

“So, that’s what I based my life on, that’s my job to get Larry Holmes, that was my whole purpose in life.

“He’s a great fighter, I’m a great admirer of Larry Holmes too, he’s a magnificent fighter but it was just that thing when I saw that he beat the s**t out of Ali.

Mike Tyson revealed that Ali, at the time, was taking drugs that induced lethargy. He claimed that Ali’s mistake ultimately led to his rise in the sport.

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“Ali was old, he was taking drugs that made him lethargic. He should’ve never did it, but I guess, by him doing that, there never would’ve been me,” said Mike Tyson.

Here’s who Mike Tyson wants to fight next

In a recent interview, Mike Tyson shared that he is not yet ready to hang up the gloves. Instead, he is now looking to push deeper into the sport.

The 55-year-old revealed that he is now trying to concretize a rematch with 56-year-old Lennox Lewis. Mike Tyson added that he later wants to pursue a mega-heavyweight clash with the current WBC world champion, Tyson Fury.

The youngest heavyweight champion is clearly not willing to retire just yet. He is determined to take on even tougher challenges at 55.

“If this (Lennox Lewis) goes well, Imma push myself deeper.

“I don’t know, maybe, Tyson Fury, he told me, if I keep winning if I do good.

“That’s my buddy,” said Mike Tyson.

While Roy Jones Jr and Lennox Lewis can still be considered as fair matchups, Tyson Fury is still in his prime and is trying to smash his way up to the heavyweight throne.

Given that fighters like Deontay Wilder, Dillian Whyte, and Anthony Joshua are still standing in his way to heavyweight unification, will Tyson Fury even have the time to fight ‘Iron’ Mike?

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