MIKE TYSON was left in tears after an emotional speech and tribute from Tyson Fury’s dad John.
John admired the heavyweight legend so much he named his son after him.
And his 35-year wait to meet his idol came to an end this year when the pair recorded a podcast together in Saudi Arabia.
And John opened up on his admiration for Tyson, who in 1985 lost his mentor and adopted father Cus D’Amato.
John said: “I watched this man since he first turned pro in early 1985, is that right, Mike? I watched everything he’s done.
“I didn’t have any money, I had no electricity, no running water all I had was a petrol generator that you had to pull a string out to make it work.
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“I used to get up at ten past three in the morning, start my generator, ready for this guy to rock and roll.
“I spent my whole life admiring him and I felt sorry for him at the same time when Cus died.
“He was like a father to you wasn’t he? He was his father and many a time when I’ve seen the documentaries with your pidgins and that with you and Cus.
“I got heavy-hearted. I got a lump in my throat. I thought, You know what? If he can come here and meet us, we could be his brothers, father could have been his father and looked after him for the man he is. Not for what people can get out of him.”
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Tyson suddenly asked the cameras to stop rolling as his eyes filled with tears.
John went on to explain how son Tyson premature and weighed just 1lb and doctors feared the worst.
But John claimed he knew his boy would grow up to be a champion fighter and named him after his favourite boxer.
He said: “I looked at these doctors and I said, ‘hear these words. He’s not only going to live. He’s going to be seven feet tall, 20 stone and the next heavyweight champion of the world, and his name is Tyson.'”
Tyson Fury was born in 1988 and has gone on to become a modern great, twice reigning as champ.
Iron Mike retired in 2005 and still holds the record as the youngest to win a heavyweight title, aged just 20.
Source: Boxing - thesun.co.uk
