It’s no news that Mike Tyson looks up to the legendary Muhammad Ali as his inspiration. He has admired Ali since he was young and continues to do so. Tyson won’t tolerate any criticism of Ali and even called Floyd Mayweather “delusional” for saying he’s better than Ali. Tyson’s connection with Ali dates back to his childhood. On October 2, 1980, Muhammad Ali returned from retirement to fight Larry Holmes. Ali aimed to win his fourth heavyweight championship. Unfortunately, he was well past his prime and likely battling Parkinson’s disease. On the other hand, ‘The Easton Assassin’ dominated Ali and in the 10th round won via a corner stoppage.

At age 14, he watched Ali lose to Holmes on closed-circuit TV with his mentor, Cus D’Amato. The loss devastated him. He conversed with Ali the next day and promised to avenge his defeat. That’s how the story of why ‘The Baddest Man on the Planet’ wanted to avenge Ali’s loss to Holmes began. The young man didn’t fail his hero, as the youngest heavyweight champion kept his promise eight years later by defeating Holmes.

How Mike Tyson avenged the loss of ‘The Greatest’?

In the video posted by Street Fight Europe, we witness the 1988 bout when Mike Tyson knocked out Larry Holmes in what he calls his most “underrated KO.” This marked Tyson’s fifth title defense. The fight had intense energy. Before losing to Michael Spinks, Holmes had an impressive 48-0 record and 20 title defenses. Tyson took on Holmes to keep a promise he had made to his hero, Muhammad Ali, to avenge Ali’s defeat by Holmes.

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At 38, many saw Holmes as past his prime. Yet, he won 21 of 24 fights after his loss to Tyson. Tyson remains the only heavyweight to knock out Holmes. The fight meant a lot to Tyson, who was mentored by Cus D’Amato. As a teen, Tyson and D’Amato watched Holmes beat Ali. Tyson then promised Ali he would defeat Holmes, a vow he fulfilled eight years later.

After the fight, Tyson thanked Holmes for being a great fighter. However, Holmes responded rudely. Tyson later admitted he couldn’t have beaten a prime Holmes. The win over Holmes often got overlooked but became more significant over time, especially since it fulfilled Tyson’s promise to Ali. Moreover, ‘Iron Mike’ singled out this fight against Larry Holmes as his favorite.

Why ‘Kid Dynamite’ revered the legendary Ali?

Tyson reflected on Ali’s resilience. He respected Holmes, but felt Ali shouldn’t have continued the fight. Tyson then refrained from comparing himself to Ali. He said he was mean and brutal, but that was nothing compared to Ali’s spirit. On the I am Rapaport Stereo Podcast, ‘Kid Dynamite’ became emotional while discussing Ali’s spirit. He conveyed emotionally, “He’s not like us; he would die for this sh*t…I’m not gonna die for this sh*t.”

Tyson admitted that Ali was willing to die in the ring, something he couldn’t understand. He believed no other boxer could match Ali’s level of commitment. ‘Iron Mike’ also emphasized that he couldn’t push himself to that level. The conversation made him emotional, highlighting Ali’s unique and incomparable character.

“That’s Where He Overshines Me” an Emotional Mike Tyson Compares Himself With the Greatness of Muhammad Ali

Mike Tyson deeply admired Muhammad Ali and vowed to avenge Ali’s loss to Larry Holmes. In 1988, Tyson fulfilled that promise by knocking out Holmes. Tyson remains the only heavyweight to defeat Holmes by knockout. The win holds a special meaning for Tyson, as it honored his hero, Ali.

So, what are your views about Tyson’s revenge? Tell us in the comment section!

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