Mike Tyson drew no shortage of inspiration from three all-time greats as he became the youngest world heavyweight champion in history.
The American achieved this accolade by dethroning Trevor Berbick in 1986, with his ruthless second-round stoppage for the WBC title sending ripples across the sport.
He would then become known as the ‘Baddest Man on the Planet’, making nine successful title defences before suffering a stunning 10th-round stoppage defeat to James ‘Buster’ Douglas.
One particularly significant performance during that time arrived against Larry Holmes, who was far removed from his prime but nonetheless continued to compete at the top level.
Ultimately, Tyson scored a fourth-round stoppage victory, as many expected him to, but it was more the story behind this fight that captured everyone’s imagination.
Around eight years earlier, Holmes had stopped Muhammad Ali in 10 rounds and, with ‘The Greatest’ being one of his idols, ‘Iron’ Mike was on a mission to avenge this punishing defeat.
Tyson therefore approached his own fight with Holmes as more of a personal endeavour than just a standard title defence, given his fierce admiration for Ali as both a fighter and human being.
As for his other boxing idols, the Brooklyn man told DJ WHOO KID that Roberto Duran and Sugar Ray Leonard – two of the Four Kings – are among the fighters he most appreciates.
Stylistically, it is clear to see why Tyson is a fan of Duran, given that, as hard-hitting boxers who typically faced taller opponents, they would fight with a certain tenacity to get on the inside.
With Leonard, meanwhile, there are perhaps less similarities but, even so, many others would name the American as one of their all-time favourite fighters.
