Incredible Footage Of Mike Tyson Crying Before A Fight, Then Turning Into Fearless Machine

Footage of a visibly emotional Mike Tyson in the early 1980's will give you a fascinating insight into his days as an amateur fighter.

Joined alongside his trainer Teddy Atlas ahead of the Junior Olympics heavyweight final, a distraught Tyson decides to leave the venue to take a quiet moment outside.

Atlas, who assisted in the training of D'Amato's teenage protégé as he climbed the ladder, quickly comforts a nervous Tyson and tells the protege to "relax" before putting an arm around the American, who can be heard sobbing.

"You've done it already 20 times, with better fighters than this guy." Atlas says.

Moments before the incident, Atlas speaks about Tyson's personality in a different location. The trainer admits that the fighter is "easily misled" and needs someone to be there with him to give him confidence.

He was right.

After Atlas gave an inspired speech to his fighter, Tyson looks ready to go to war, shadow boxing his way inside the building.

Tyson then proceeds to destroy his opponent with trademark body shots and deadly left and right hooks.

When Tyson was 15 years of age, the fighter and his trainer Atlas went their separate ways after a remarkable altercation mentioned in the below interviews.

Atlas actually claimed that the former heavyweight champion was not a "great fighter" last year but he did say that he was one of the all-time great punchers.

"Was he one of the greatest punches of all-time? Yes," Atlas told JRE MMA Show.

"Could he punch from either side of the plate like Mickey Mantle, the greatest switch-hitter? Was he that in boxing? Yes! He could punch evenly, great with either hand from either side. Was he all those things? Yes! Was he great an intimidator as Sonny Liston? Yes! Was he a great finisher like Joe Lewis to an extent? Yes!"

"But he wasn't a great fighter."

Mike Tyson also spoke about the altercation with his former trainer Atlas in a shocking interview after retirement.

Thoughts on the above footage of Tyson and Atlas?

Let us know in the comments.

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Topics: Mike Tyson, Boxing News, Boxing

Jack Kenmare

Jack Kenmare is a writer at SPORTbible. He's interviewed some of the biggest names in sport, including Zlatan Ibrahimovic, Pele, Carles Puyol and Tim Henman. He dabbles in all things sport but football is his biggest passion. He was once hit in the head by a wayward strike from Nicky Butt and lived to tell the tale.

@jackkenmare_