Mike Tyson didn’t just happen to become one of the greatest athletes of all time.
He was endowed with every quality, including attitude, an elite mentality, jaw-dropping arrogance, and an abundance of skills.
Overall, this man was a package more complete than most, and to this day, few people would disagree with that assessment—at least not those who really witnessed him during his peak in boxing.
A feature of his defence was the famous ‘peekaboo’, which he is seen using here to a deadly effect.
He did rid himself of it towards the back end of his career, but while he used it, it took years for someone to get past that defence.
For those wondering just how solid he was, he is the boxing equivalent of AC Milan’s Paolo Maldini and Franco Baresi, or if you like, Chelsea’s John Terry and Ricardo Carvalho.
In case you’re thinking what became of Tyson vs. Tillis, the latter actually did remarkably well, becoming the first man to break Tyson’s K.O. streak and going the distance.
With two of the three judges scoring the fight 6-4, you can think for yourself as to how close it really was. He very nearly had Tyson.
After the fight, which took place in 1986, Tyson said:
“He was laying for one punch, an uppercut, and (I) wanted to take him clean. I never got that opportunity.”
His co-manager, Jimmy Jacobs, had a slightly different reflection.
“It’s simply marvellous for the fighter. Now, he knows he can go the distance.”