Mike Tyson has named his all-time favourite fighter, a man he always found to be more relatable than Muhammad Ali.
While being in awe of Ali’s greatness, Tyson knew he could never successfully replicate the elegance of his style.
So, instead, the Brooklyn-born puncher focused on cultivating his own unique approach, designed to utilise his raw power, brute strength and explosiveness.
With no shortage of help from legendary trainer Cus D’Amato, ‘Iron’ Mike managed to achieve this style and, in turn, became the youngest heavyweight champion in history.
His second-round stoppage of Trevor Berbick in 1986 was then followed by a series of equally ruthless WBC title defences, only for his reign to end via a shock defeat to James ‘Buster’ Douglas in 1990.
Yet still, Tyson will always be remembered as one of the sport’s most formidable champions, along with his favourite fighter Roberto Duran.
‘Hands of Stone’ claimed his first world title in 1972, dethroning Ken Buchanan with a controversial 13th-round stoppage to become the WBA lightweight champion.
Duran then went on to encounter Sugar Ray Leonard, Marvin Hagler and Tommy Hearns, contending with a significant size disadvantage against each of his fellow Four Kings.
In that sense, it is perhaps no wonder that Tyson – a relatively small heavyweight – named the Panamanian as his favourite fighter at an event covered by ESNEWS.
“Roberto Duran. The reason why is because he comes from filth – like I did. I wasn’t handsome like [Muhammad] Ali; I was from the gutter.
“So I wanted to be like [Duran], because he represented me.”
It is therefore not only Duran’s height and reach disadvantages, but also his deprived background, that resonated with a young Tyson.
