Mike Tyson Talks Floyd Mayweather vs Conor McGregor, AJ, Ali and His Proudest moment
The former undisputed Heavyweight Champion of the World Iron Mike Tyson was in Dubai recently to launch his new Academy. Dubai Eye Radio sat down with the living boxing legend to discuss the current state of affairs in the sport. As well as the upcoming mega-fight or circus, depending on how you look at it. As fellow boxing great Floyd Mayweather faces off against mixed martial arts superstar Conor McGregor.
Mike talks at length about the fight that was Anthony Joshua against Wladimir Klitschko. Or as Mike likes to call him, The New King on the Block, when referring to Joshua. Although you have the GGG versus Canelo fight and the Mayweather bout on the horizon. Joshua is the new King! Mike is asked if he would have liked to fight Joshua in his prime.
To which he quickly and unreservedly replies. “I don’t want to fight nobody” quickly followed by a reaffirming burst of laughter. He believes, that Joshua coming back after being knocked down with a huge bomb from Klitschko. Really shows that he has what it takes to remain a dominant champion for some time to come.
“When I get Gig I’m Gonna Get Him for Ya!”
Tyson also talks about how people want to see knockouts in fights. “People might not want me to say this, they might not want to hear this. They talk about safety in the sport. In boxing, people want to see people get hurt. Get knocked out. That’s what we want to see.”
Mike also harks back to his own proudest moment inside the ring, with it being the time he stopped Larry Holmes. Something he had told Muhammed Ali he would do for him over the phone when he was only 14 years old.
“When I get big I’m gonna get him for ya.”
he told Ali at the other end of the line. He also talks about how special a person you need to be to be a fighter. Anyone, even him wants to avoid getting in street fights... getting into a fight with somebody. And to think these guys do it for a living.
Until I See the Two of Them in the Ring…
Finally, Mike is asked about the Conor McGregor vs Floyd Mayweather fight and if he believes it gives boxing a bad name? To which Mike simply says, it doesn’t! But Conor is not skilled enough to box with Floyd. “If he fought UFC, Floyd boxed, then that would be more exciting. Then we would see how Floyd handles the kicks to the legs… Conor has some amateur boxing skills, But Conor’s not a boxer. He needs to go in there fight his fight. Floyd needs to fight his fight.”