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Mike Tyson Once Admitted He Tried To Break An Opponent's Arm And It Proves How Ruthless He Was

Mike Tyson Once Admitted He Tried To Break An Opponent's Arm And It Proves How Ruthless He Was

It was Tyson's first fight back after biting Evander Holyfield's ear and he was ruthless.

Daniel Marland

Daniel Marland

Mike Tyson once admitted that he attempted to break Francois Botha's arm during their fight - which proves how intense he was in the ring.

'Iron Mike' returned to action in 1999 after serving a suspension for biting Evander Holyfield's ear and he faced off with South African Botha.

Following the fight, many picked up on an incident which saw Tyson lock Botha's arm in an armbar and refuse to let go.

''Mike grabbed my arm, he was trying to break my arm, to twist my arm,'' Botha explained to the New York Times following the fight.

When Tyson was told of Botha's accusations, he replied with a cold: ''He's correct.''

''I was very concerned,'' Marc Ratner, the commission's executive director, explained after the bell. ''I told Richard Steele [the referee]: 'This is your fight. Take control. Take points away.' He went to each corner and told them, 'We don't want a DQ here.' ''

Tyson won the fight but it was one of his more uninspired victories and 'The Baddest Man on the Planet' admitted it himself.

"I'm a little embarrassed," Tyson said at a post-fight news conference per the Washington Post. "I wanted to shine tonight. It takes time. It takes time.

"Rome wasn't built in a day. . . . I've got to improve a lot more. I've got a long way to go.

"I wasn't worried," Tyson added. "I knew I was going to knock him out. It was just a matter of time."

However, the fight was just as memorable for the 53-year-old's ring walk at the MGM Grand Arena.

Tyson returned to the same arena he'd bitten Holyfield's ear 18 months prior and he looked determined.

Cheers from the crowd are immediately silenced as DMX's 'Intro - It's Dark And Hell Is Hot' blares over the speakers and Tyson emerges.

Decked out in a hat and t-shirt that reads 'Be real', he walks with a look of menace and determination on his face.

Image
doublesuited: YouTube

It's clear that fans and even the commentators are unsure how to react to Tyson given his actions against Holyfield.

But cheers and even some light boos begin to swell as the former heavyweight champion gets closer and closer to the ring.

Fans on YouTube have reacted to the entrance and it's clear to see how feared of a fighter Tyson was.

One user wrote: "He could walk out to the song 'row, row, row your boat' and it would scare people."

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doublesuited: YouTube

While a second commented: "Never seen a more intimidating fighter of all combats sport combined in 25 years than Tyson. He's a myth."

It's hard to see a boxer ever matching the pure intensity Tyson showed when in the ring.

Featured Image Credit: Image Credit: Its Bad News/YouTube

Topics: Mike Tyson, Boxing News, Boxing