In the sports realm, athletes have always shown their appreciation for others who have achieved similar or greater status in their respective sports. Likewise, the former world heavyweight champion, Mike Tyson, once expressed his admiration for a legendary athlete from another sport and left his fans to ponder over his fascinating words of praise. A couple of years ago, Iron Mike praised the NHL legend Wayne Gretzky and talked highly about his influential persona.

So what exactly did Tyson feel about Wayne Gretzky after meeting him? Let’s take a look at Mike’s reverence for the Great one.

Mike Tyson’s admiration for Wayne Gretzky and his ‘delightful’ nature

In 2019, Kid Dynamite joined the NHL celebrity wrap and profoundly chatted about his interests and perspective regarding ice hockey. As per the talk, Iron Mike once tried his luck in hockey as a goalkeeper and “almost died”. However, he finds the game “very humbling”. He talked about his first meeting with the Great one. “I met Wayne Gretzky for the first time in Phoenix, Arizona”, recalled Tyson.

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Explaining Gretzky’s persona, Mike said, “Delightful man!”. Moreover, the heavyweight champion further expressed his admiration for Gretzky, as he added, “He is a very kind man”.

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Interestingly, Tyson also listed Gretzky in the category of great athletes. Clearly, Mike was fascinated by Gretzky’s achievements and his influential persona.

Tyson and Gretzky are both a fan of another global sport

The common liking that the Great One and Iron Mike share is the sport of tennis. Interestingly, Mike’s daughter Milan and Gretzky’s daughter Emma Marie are commendable tennis players. Therefore, both champions often show their love for tennis. Not just that, they both were often spotted together during various tennis tournaments to cheer for their daughters. For instance, in 2016, the former world heavyweight champion and the NHL legend were spotted together at the BNP Paribas Open at Indian Wells, California to cheer their daughters for their metier in tennis.

Mike Tyson and Wayne Gretzky exemplify true sportsmanship, as they never shy away from expressing their reverence for the athletes from cross-sporting arenas. And now, as they share a common liking for tennis, we hope to see more of their dynamics in the future.

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