Even outside the ring, in his prime, Mike Tyson was a fearsome personality. He was an uncut diamond, growing up in the mean streets of Brooklyn. Then, at legendary trainer Cus D’Amato’s workshop, he got cut and polished into the most potent force the Heavyweight division has seen since Muhammad Ali.

Hector Mercedes’ first-round knockout announced the arrival of Mike Tyson on March 6, 1985. For the next five years, he was to remain undefeated. He was just twenty-three years old. Iron Mike became a global phenomenon during that period, one of the most sought-after personalities for interviews and talk shows.

In 1986, eminent talk show host Dick Cavett once had the opportunity to host Mike Tyson in one of the episodes of his eponymous show, The Dick Cavett Show. From March 4, 1968, the show had a successful eighteen-year run until December 30, 1986. The show has also featured Muhammad Ali in multiple episodes.

When Mike Tyson grabbed Dick Cavett’s hands

The boxing and MMA channel @FightingCentre released a half-a-minute clip of the episode three weeks ago on YouTube. No surprise, it has already garnered nearly 19 million views.

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It all started when Cavett, during the interview, asked Tyson, “Can you show me why not being as tall as the other guy can be an advantage?”

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To make his point, the latter brought the host to an open space from where they sat. Then he demonstrated how an apparent height disadvantage could be turned into an advantage. So in between, Cavett asked where one needs to focus in a face-to-face situation. Iron Mike responded that eyes should be focused on the shoulder level.

The talk show host acknowledged the point. But, he said, “I know I’ve learned some things about martial arts that, in some ways, the idea is to look a little beyond their opponent.”

And pat came Tyson’s response, “Somebody was telling that you’re into Karate.”

The boxer and an aikidoka

Cavett clarified that it wasn’t Karate but Aikido. He told the boxing champion to grab his hands and hold them down firmly to show what he had learned. In the video shared by FightingCentre, Cavett says, “Can you just hold my wrist yeah, good now, a really strong guy holding me like that now. Obviously, I can’t move, and no human being could, but the 87-year-old founder of Aikido, with this World’s Strongest Man holding him like this, could do that legit okay, hold tight, oh, now you’re playing for real hey yeah.”

He pushed his right hand, held by Tyson’s left, over the latter’s shoulder for a release and asked whether it was an impressive technique. By now smiling, the champion asked, “Alright, but what is the purpose? No one’s gonna mug you; Nobody’s gonna go like this?”

Perhaps, the technique seemed insufficient to budge a person as strong and determined as Mike Tyson.

Aikido which roughly translates to “the way of harmonious spirit,” is a relatively modern martial art form. Founded by Morihei Ueshiba in Japan, the style emphasizes defending oneself without harming the opponent or attacker.

One of the most popular martial arts forms across the globe, among its famous practitioners, the name of Hollywood actor Steven Seagal stands out.

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What do you think of the video clip? Do you think one martial art form could be better than another? If so, do share your opinions and views in the comments below.