MIKE TYSON struck fear into the hearts of heavyweights for the best part of two decades.
‘Iron Mike’ burst onto the scene in the 1980s, making his professional debut in 1985 against Hector Mercedes.
‘Kid Dynamite’, as he was known back then, racked up an incredible 12 first-round KO finishes in a mere eight months to put the division’s old heads on notice.
That incredible run of stoppages made Tyson’s future opponents fear for their safety before the opening bell rang.
But he was an intimidating force long before he made his professional debut under the watchful eye of former mentor Cus D’Amato.
Irish hardman and now-retired boxer Joe Egan learned first-hand of Tyson’s ferociousness when he sparred the boxing icon as a fresh-faced teenager.
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And their wars in the gym live long in the memory.
He told talkSPORT: “I’d left school when I was 14 years of age and I’d been on the doors of nightclubs at 15 years of age.
“When I met Mike I was 17 and I had been fighting men so when I got the opportunity to spar another 17-year-old I was over the moon.
“Mike was several months younger than me, he was shorter than me and he spoke with a bit of a lisp and I thought ‘I’m going to batter this kid’.
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“I really had the measure of him in my mind, he was so nice, he was fascinated with the history of Irish boxing so we got on great.
“We walked and talked, we watched fight footage at the top of the house together and then we ran together the next morning.
“When we got to the gym, suddenly all these big powerhouses appeared, all of them very sombre because they knew what was coming.
“They knew the beatings that were going to be dished out by this young heavyweight. I thought they’re all going to box together and then me and Mike are going to box together.”
Egan knew he was in trouble when he got a glimpse of Tyson’s hulking frame, which most fully grown men would’ve envied.
He continued: “We stripped off, shadow boxed, bandaged up and Cus said ‘glove up’. Then I saw Mike in the ring stripped to his waist.
“The physique on the 17-year-old boy, the biceps, the triceps, the neck, the chest, the back.
The physique on the 17-year-old boy, the biceps, the triceps, the neck, the chest, the back. I thought ‘there is no way a 17-year-old boy should look like that’.
Joe Egan on Mike Tyson
“I thought ‘there is no way a 17-year-old boy should look like that, that’s not the same boy I ran with this morning and met yesterday, that’s not the same boy I sat with on the mini bus, laughing and joking’.
“Then Cus pointed to one of the big men to get in and spar, he was knocked spark out with one punch. I’m not ashamed to say it, but I ruined a good pair of underpants in that moment.
“I s*** myself. Two more got in, two more got knocked out. I was number four, I got battered for three minutes, but I stayed on my feet.
“I got out, a couple more got in, they lasted as long as they lasted, I got in again. I did six minutes with him that day and took six minutes of punishment.”
Jake Paul vs Mike Tyson’s lifestyles compared
ONE is a notorious YouTuber-turned-boxer who has taken the sport by storm.
The other terrorised all in the ring in the 1980s and 1990s, famously biting the ear off an opponent in one fight.
Iron Mike has rebuilt his life after squandering a £300m fortune with a cannabis empire, and is a huge advocate of the drug.
And as Paul has continued to rise up the ranks, he has splashed the cash on a fleet of amazing cars.
Whereas Tyson had more money than sense until a £15m debt saw him part with his cherished car collection.
Paul now lives in a plush mansion worth £13m in Puerto Rico, after escaping his hectic life in LA.
But these days, Tyson lounges in his Vegas property he paid £2.5m for with wife Lakiha, who he married in 2009.
Paul is not yet married but is smitten with his speed skater girlfriend Jutta Leerdam.
She will be by his side when her man puts his 9-1 boxing record on the line against two-time heavyweight champ Tyson on July 20.
Read more: Jake Paul vs Mike Tyson’s lifestyles compared, from The Problem Child’s £13m mansion to Iron Mike’s huge cannabis empire.
Despite never getting the better of Tyson in sparring, Egan has fond memories of their time together.
“He said: “I never got the better of him, he battered me many times, made me cry so many times.
“But it was an honour and privilege to share the ring with him because of what he went on and achieved.”
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Tyson 57, will be back in action on July 20 when he throws down with Jake Paul in a controversial crossover clash.
Egan, meanwhile, has been itching to get in the ring with John Fury – the father of former WBC heavyweight champ Tyson.
Mike Tyson’s controversial comeback
Mike Tyson is BACK!
Yes, boxing’s youngest heavyweight champ of all time – just 20 when he achieved the feat – is preparing to lace them up again.
He faces YouTuber-turned-boxer Jake Paul on July 20 in Texas.
The controversial clash – set for the 80,000-seat AT&T Stadium in Dallas – has been scrutinised over the 30-year age gap.
Tyson will be 58 by the time the fight for the ages comes around and nearly 20 years removed from his last professional contest.
He was last seen in the ring in November 2020 for an exhibition with fellow legend Roy Jones Jr, which ended a draw after eight rounds.
Paul is meanwhile 9-1 in the ring, losing only to Tommy Fury in 2023, and has won three times since.
His fight with Tyson will also be a landmark first on Netflix, with over 250MILLION subscribers able to watch the bout.
Source: Boxing - thesun.co.uk
