Despite Getting “Humiliated” in Front of Millions, Mike Tyson Picks Losing in $7,300,000 Fight as Greatest of His Boxing Career

Published 09/06/2023, 6:38 AM EDT

In his two-decade-long career, Mike Tyson saw the face of defeat six times. An outstanding performance in the post-Muhammad Ali era made him the youngest Heavyweight champion. Later, adding one belt after another, he became a unified champion. Hence, it would be natural for many to think Tyson would pick one of the bouts he fought in his prime as the most significant one of his career if given a choice. But surprisingly, that’s not the case. The match he revealed in a lively discussion with Francis Ngannou turned out to be one where, although he pocketed over $7 million, it left him humbled in front of scores of fans and followers.

Roughly two months from now, ‘The Predator’ will meet ‘The Gyspy King.’ As much as the news on the Heavyweight crossover took many by surprise, reports of Mike Tyson joining the Cameroonian-French fighter’s camp astounded everyone. Clips of the two training together have been going viral for some time. Ngannou was also the guest in one of the most recent episodes of Hotboxin’.

You learn from setbacks: Mike Tyson

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So, the two joined for @Complex‘s ‘GOAT Talk.’ They only needed to pick a card and answer the GOAT question. The first question was about the most outstanding professional wrestler of all time. While Ngannou stated Hulk Hogan, Ric Flair was Mike Tyson’s choice. The next card quizzed the duo about the animal they felt was most significant. It was interesting to see when Ngannou mentioned the lion. Tyson stated, “You know, a Lion’s more of a p*mp mentality, uh, ideology, because he does no work and gets all the benefits.”

Then Mike Tyson shared that the knockout he held dearest to his heart – the Larry Holmes bout – allowed him to avenge Muhammad Ali’s 1980 loss at the hands of ‘The Easton Assassin.’ For ‘The Predator,’ the Alistair Overeem knockout shot up. Then, the two discussed the GOAT sneakers and the fashion era! The GOAT workout song revealed Drake‘s ‘God’s Plan’ for Ngannou and Tupac‘s ‘Ambitionz as a Ridah’ for Tyson.

Both champions agreed that Jon Jones remained the greatest mixed martial arts fighter ever. Then the question came: “GOAT Mike Tyson fight.” The youngest Heavyweight champion replied, “Listen, it’s weird. It has to be my loss to Buster Douglas.” He reasoned that the bout had made him a better fighter. Getting disgraced in front of so many people and then making a comeback speaks volumes about such a person. Tyson said, “.. you’re getting humiliated in front of millions and millions of people and overcoming.. that’s a winner.”

Labeled ‘Tyson is Back!‘ many die-hards still consider the fight between Mike Tyson and James’ Buster’ Douglas as the most remarkable upset in boxing’s history.

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Defeat number one

Though the former managed to send Douglas down in the eighth round, it soon became clear that the Ohioan had come prepared. In the tenth round, a flurry of combinations saw Mike Tyson touch the canvas for the first time in his career. He managed to get up. However, the referee had by that time counted him out. Douglas’s happiness lasted only a few months as Evander Holyfield removed his title in October.

Mike Tyson Thinks He Won the Buster Douglas Fight: ‘He Was Knocked Out for 14 Seconds’

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Which bout of Mike Tyson would you rate as the greatest of his outstanding career? Please share your thoughts and views with us in the comments below.

Watch This Story: George Foreman Snubs Muhammad Ali and Evander Holyfield to Give Mike Tyson the “Most Spectacular Athlete” Crown

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Written by:

Jaideep Unnithan is a Boxing writer at EssentiallySports. With over 400 articles authored at ES, Jaideep has built a reputation for diving deep into stories and producing detailed reports. Jaideep's passion for the sport of boxing was ignited when his father shared his experience of watching Ali vs Frazier live in the US.

Edited by:

Yeswanth Praveen

Despite Getting “Humiliated” in Front of Millions, Mike Tyson Picks Losing in $7,300,000 Fight as Greatest of His Boxing Career

You learn from setbacks: Mike Tyson

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Defeat number one