Wanting to “Kill” His Opponents, Even an Out Cold Knockout Win Left Mike Tyson Unsatisfied

Published 04/10/2024, 5:48 AM EDT

In his prime, Mike Tyson was a knockout machine. Today as he stands on the brink of making a return to the ring, many boxing enthusiasts are reminded of his iconic prowess. What was he thinking as he went against those noteworthy names of the heavyweight division? An old video holds the answers to this question.

In his time, ‘Iron Mike’ defeated the likes of Larry Holmes (1988), Michael Spinks (1988), Carl Williams (1989), and Julius Francis (2000), through knockouts that are the stuff of legends. In the wake of his retirement, he left a splendid record of 50 wins, 44 out of them through knockouts. When one looks through his body of work with an analytical lens, you can only sing praises of his power and technique. While these wins have certainly earned him a place in history, he remains unsure if he was satisfied with them.

Mike Tyson and His Knockout Saga

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A year ago, ‘The Baddest Man on the Planet’ appeared on Fox News for a conversation with Tucker Carlson. The political commentator quizzed him on how he approached his opponents. What drove him to the extent that most of his bouts ended with knockout wins?

Tyson remarked, “I wanted to kill them. The more you hurt him, the more people love you.” A little intimidated at this point, Tuckerson also asked if the wins satisfied him. While they did to a certain extent, the nature of these opponents was, however, not on par with the expectations Tyson had. He further noted, “I want to say yeah, kind of yeah. They weren’t good enough.”

In the days leading up to his big fight against Jake Paul, the excerpt from the interview was reposted by a YouTube channel.

The legendary boxer was trained by ace coach, Cus D’Amato. His signature style involved moving swiftly across the ring, in the famed peek-a-boo style, combining his impregnable defense with a killer instinct to deliver fight-ending knockout blows.

Today, years after he hung his gloves, the fighter remains keen on going down the path of violence again. He faces off against ‘The Problem Child’ in their July 20th fight. He will be 58 by the time he encounters his almost 30 years younger opponent. Tyson’s old age and his nerve condition have raised concerns among his fans. However, they are also confident that his acumen coupled with his experience will work in his favor. Yet he remains “scared to death.” Why?

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Employing Fear to Move Past barriers

In a recent conversation with Fox News, Tyson outlined that he has always used his fear to push himself to be battle-ready. He explained, “Anything I’m afraid of, I confront it.” “And that’s my personality. Like right now, I’m scared to death. But as the fight gets closer, the less nervous I become because it’s reality. And in reality, I’m invincible,” he added.

The last time Tyson fought was four years ago in a 2020 exhibition bout against a fighter almost similar to his age, Roy Jones Jr. Now, as he goes against a much younger fighter, in an exhibition clash, he promises to deliver fans a showdown that mirrors a professional fight. However, the big question is: will ‘Iron Mike’ be able to use his two decades of boxing experience to outsmart Jake Paul? Or will Jake Paul’s youthfulness and vitality get the better of Mike Tyson?

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Let us know what you think of Mike Tyson’s knockout acumen in the comments section below.

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Written by:

Mohammed Shafiulla is a Boxing writer at EssentiallySports. With a Master’s degree in Journalism from a reputed institute, Shafi has cemented his position as one of the astute observers of boxing at ES. One of the early supporters of Naoya Inoue, Shafi has covered his transition from a Japanese boxer with a niche fan following to a power-punching global boxing star.

Edited by:

Arijit Saha

Wanting to “Kill” His Opponents, Even an Out Cold Knockout Win Left Mike Tyson Unsatisfied

Mike Tyson and His Knockout Saga

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Employing Fear to Move Past barriers