Featured Image Credit: Getty
Topics: Boxing, Mike Tyson, Jake Paul, Heavyweight Boxing, Muhammad Ali
Rory O'Callaghan
Topics: Boxing, Mike Tyson, Jake Paul, Heavyweight Boxing, Muhammad Ali
Mike Tyson has named his three favourite boxers of all time including one former fighter he nicknamed 'The Devil'.
Tyson is currently preparing for his return to the ring to face YouTuber-turned-boxer Jake Paul, 27, in an exhibition bout on July 20 at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas.
The 57-year-old has not fought since drawing with Roy Jones Jr in an exhibition match in 2020, while his last professional bout came back in 2005 against Kevin McBride, when he was beaten inside six rounds.
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Despite that defeat, Tyson is rightfully viewed as one of the greatest fighters in the history of boxing, having developed a fearsome reputation during his younger years.
'Iron Mike' remains the youngest ever heavyweight world champion, having picked up his first belt aged just 20 years, four months and 23 days.
He would go on to become undisputed heavyweight champion and would finish his professional career with a record of 50-6, having fought the very best in his division.
While he is the boxing idol many current heavyweights, Tyson himself had three fighters he looked up to throughout his pro career.
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Speaking in 2021, Tyson revealed that Muhammad Ali, Sugar Ray Robinson and Roberto Duran were his three biggest idols.
Tyson also revealed that it was Duran's iconic 1980 win over Sugar Ray Leonard which first inspired him to become a boxer.
He said: "Duran got me into fighting. I watched him fight Leonard and thought, 'Wow, I wanna do this'.
"Ali, Duran, Robinson, I love all of the fighters.
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"There's not one fighter that could do everything, like one guy can do one thing, another guy can have a left hook that's just better than everybody else, just looks better than anybody else even though he's not a better fighter.
"Fighting is weird, people look good fighting, even if they're not a good fighter they look good losing, they just have that pizazz in them.
"Some people are born like that, they just look good doing everything, even losing."
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Tyson, speaking on his podcast Hotboxin' in 2019, also said: "You know when I first saw Ali I said, 'Yeah, that's who I want to be like'. I knew I wanted to be a fighter.
"But then I saw Roberto Duran, and I said that's who the f*** I want to be. I said that's who I want to be.
"A mean motherf***er, people scared to look at him. The devil. Yeah, I wanted to be that."