Mike Tyson and Lennox Lewis both named same boxing legend as their toughest ever opponent

Mike Tyson and Lennox Lewis both named the same boxing legend as their toughest ever opponent.

Both men have been out of the professional ring for a similar amount of time, with Tyson retiring from the sport in 2005 and Lewis hanging up the gloves in 2003.

Tyson will come out of retirement this week to face Jake Paul at the AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas.

The 58-year-old took on Roy Jones Jr in a special exhibition match in 2020 but otherwise hasn't fought since he quit on his stool during what was, at the time, his final career fight against Kevin McBride.

Lewis, meanwhile, hasn't been tempted back into the ring since he retired following his TKO victory over Vitali Klitschko.

In 2002, Lewis and Tyson met for the final time in a blockbuster fight in 2002, with the Brit emerging victorious via knockout in what was his penultimate fight.

When asked to name their toughest ever opponent, both fighters picked the same man - Evander Holyfield.

Tyson and Holyfield had a major rivalry in the 1990s, with their second fight ending in a DQ for 'Iron Mike' when he infamously bit his opponent's ear.

Lewis, meanwhile, took on the 6ft 2in American twice in the space of eight months in 1999. Their first fight ended in a split decision draw, before Lewis took the rematch via unanimous decision to win the heavyweight titles.

The Brit commented on Holyfield in an Instagram post: "People seem to be genuinely surprised when I tell them [Holyfield] was my toughest opponent - not to be confused with my toughest fight, which was [Ray] Mercer - but when you really dive into why that is, it actually makes a lot of sense.

"Holyfield, like me, has an extensive amateur pedigree that has served him well throughout his professional career.

"He started boxing at eight years old and was an Olympic bronze medalist in 1984. Before he moved up to the heavyweight division, he's a man that cleared out the cruiserweight division to become the undisputed champion, and arguably the best ever, in that weight class.

Mike Tyson, Lennox Lewis and Evander Holyfield pictured (Image: Getty)

"I may tease him a bit on our two fights, he knows I won both fights even though he won't admit it, but in all seriousness, he's the only man that has gone 24 rounds with me."

In an interview with The Ring Magazine, meanwhile, Tyson explained: "Great champion: chin, heart, determination, work ethic, demeanour."

'Iron Mike' has changed his mind on occasion in recent years, though, as he once named Pinklon Thomas as his toughest opponent.

He said: "I hit him with 17 punches, flat on the face. He went down, but it was 17 punches.

"Seventeen punches, flush, all of them were as hard as they could be and the last one he just passed out. I thought, 'God, that is my toughest fight, he took 17 on the chin'."