The sport of boxing became a global entity because of two legends. Muhammad Ali and Mike Tyson elevated the sport to colossal heights like no other boxers. They helped boxing to get the fame and recognition it enjoys now. Out of all those fans, Olympic gold medalist Shaun White makes his way to the list. And there is a beautiful story behind it. 

When he was young, he watched these legends bash their opponents apart. Hence, in a recent podcast, White explained how their performances catapulted him to the pinnacle of the sport. White remembered how a school book report opened his eyes to the greatest of all time.

Shaun White loves his boxing icons!

For years, Muhammad Ali was at the top of the boxing chain. Not only did he entertain fans with his boxing skills, but his post-match quotes were off the charts. But to those who saw him fight, no boxer attacked the way he did, apart from one who appears later. In the meantime, White learned about the legend through a book report. Picking out the slimmest book, he flipped through the pages to find Cassius Clay. Forever, he entered his heart. 

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“For me, I always loved watching Muhammad Ali. I remember it was one of the first books I read as a kid. And I remember picking it because it was the thinnest book I could find. It was a quick kids’ book about Muhammad Ali, and I remember being a big fan of watching him fight,” said White. From there, Ali was in White‘s head, slowly convincing him to become an icon in the sport. 

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The fancy shuffles, devastating punches, and subtle movements all mount up to the monster he was in the boxing ring. White completely fell in love with the boxer. He continued, “It wasn’t that he fought people. He would embarrass them. In the ring, he would shuffle his feet and sneak in these punches. And he pulls a punch at the end and watches the guy fall.”

Don’t forget about Mike Tyson!

To be fair, Shaun is right. Ali certainly stole the show. However, there was another boxer in the house. There was a time when Mike Tyson owned tigers at his lavish home. It sums up the dominant performances he put forward in the ring. White also discussed how Tyson impressed him with his cold-blooded knockouts. 

“Mike Tyson. I remember coming in a black robe, and he would knock the person out in the first seconds of the first round,” said White, who was right in mentioning how he knocked his opponents out in seconds. Although a fight between Tyson and Ali was never on the cards due to two different eras, it remains a fantasy for every boxing fan. Even Shaun White, who adored them. 

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