Mike Tyson has told the story of how he dealt with one of the toughest sparring partners he encountered in his career.
The former undisputed heavyweight world champion was pushed every day in the gym as he prepared for his biggest fights against the likes of Evander Holyfield and Lennox Lewis.
Tyson told Ryan Garcia on his Hotboxin’ Podcast: “When I was training I would do eight rounds [of sparring], but as the fight got closer we would go to 12 rounds.
“The guy that gave me the most problems who I normally go in first with, I’d take him last now so he’d really push me.
“Their job is to kick my ass. If they don’t kick my ass, they’re fired.
“That’s just how it goes when you’re preparing for a fight like this.”
Tyson then explained how one particular sparring partner gave him trouble.
He continued: “When you’re in training, you’re in the gym, then this guy walks in, ‘This n***a again? F***.’
“This guy from Atlantic City, he would beat my ass every day.
“Like Muhammad Ali playing the bongos on my head, beat my ass.
“One day I hit him and knocked him cold.
“Then everybody’s talking about how I knocked this guy cold, ‘Oh he’s knocking out sparring partners.’
“If only they knew he’s been kicking my ass every day and I got that one.
“That one knockout I got, but he’s kicked my ass for three months.
“They saw the one knockout, so they thought I was prepared.
“There’s just some sparring partners that can beat anybody in the world in the gym.
“But if he goes into a real fight with the lights, people eating popcorn and drinking beer, he freezes.
“I was like, ‘Why didn’t you fight him like you fight me?’
“He’d have been champion. But it’s just something about it, that’s why he’s not champion.”