35 Years After Mike Tyson Exacted Revenge for Muhammad Ali, Joe Rogan Drops a Hard Truth on Larry Holmes’ Vicious KO – “He F***ed Up”

Mike Tyson is arguably one of the biggest boxing icons the world has ever seen. He was one of the most feared and ferocious fighters to ever grace the squared circle. As such, UFC commentator and podcast host, Joe Rogan recently recalled how ‘Iron’ was a standout performer in his prime and how he exacted revenge for Muhammad Ali in his fight against Larry Holmes.

Fans knew Tyson for his discipline, speed in the ring, and his ability to knock out opponents at an alarming rate. He became the youngest heavyweight champion in history and unified the division at the age of 20. He further went on to become one of the most recognized athletes ever.

JRE host recalls ‘Iron’ defeating Larry Holmes

Two years after Muhammad Ali took a break from boxing, he decided to make a comeback against Larry Holmes in 1980. The latter was undefeated with a 35-fight winning streak. Meanwhile, Ali was one of the most celebrated personalities in sports at that point in time. However, the boxing world was shocked to see the 38-year-old boxing icon lose to Holmes via a technical knockout. Joe Rogan emphasized this and said, “Everyone was sad because Muhammad Ali got beat up by Larry Holmes.”

Tyson admired Ali and took this loss personally.

However, when Larry Holmes faced Mike Tyson in 1988, unexpectedly, he got dominated. Tyson was in his early 20s and in the prime of his life and he wanted to get revenge on Holmes on Ali’s behalf. The 55-year-old said, “When he [Holmes] came back to fight Tyson, he f***ed up. He found out.”

It surprised Joe Rogan to see that Larry Holmes got knocked out in such a brutal fashion, considering he has fought some of the toughest fighters in his career. He added, “It was just crazy to watch him [Holmes] get knocked out, and he had fought so many big hitters before early in his prime.”

Joe Rogan talks about the Mike Tyson era

During the #2003 episode of the million-dollar podcast, ‘The Joe Rogan Experience’, Rogan touched up the time when Mike Tyson’s arrival shook the boxing world. He also claims that ‘Iron’s level was so superior to other boxers that people had to realize that Tyson’s time had come.

“When someone comes along every now and then, in any sport… just elevates the level of performance to this extreme extent, where everybody has to recognize, ‘Oh! You’re in the Mike Tyson era,” said Joe Rogan.

In addition to that, the JRE host claimed that Tyson’s arrival was also a breath of fresh air for the heavyweight division. The division was in a jeopardized situation. Joe Rogan added, “Before Mike Tyson, people have to understand what was going on with the heavyweight division. It was not good.”

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Additionally, Rogan also discussed what made Mike Tyson different from someone like George Foreman. Both fighters have showcased great power in the strikes. But Tyson was faster than any other heavyweight ever. “I don’t think he [Tyson] had the one-punch knockout power that George Foreman had. But I think he had speed like a middleweight. That’s what’s crazy,” said the JRE host.

Mike Tyson had a lot of controversies over the years. Nevertheless, his fans remember him as an exceptional boxer, a true master of incomparable boxing prowess. What do you think?

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