Mike Tyson considers the fighters of today and those he fought back in the 90s to be polar opposites.
In attendance during fight week at the Mayweather vs. Pacquiao event, which takes place on May 2nd in the MGM Grand, Tyson could not fathom how civil both Floyd and Manny were to each other, as he remembers his glory days and how he felt when he stood across from his opponents at press conferences and weigh-ins.
“They are very nice and very polite,” Tyson told a scrum of reporters. “It is almost like, I don’t want to say church, but like a library. Maybe I’m a Neanderthal. I want to kill the other dude, not be near them.”
Known for his antics and controversial quotes, Tyson found himself watching an entirely different approach to the sport when he saw how Mayweather and Pacquiao consistently showed each other respect and appeared civil. While he never wanted to humanize his foes before stepping into the ring with them, he can sense that boxing’s two top stars are closer to businessmen than they are to natural fighters.
“Boxing is different from when I boxed. These are businessmen up here. I manufactured – a natural born killer. I want to win and hurt people. I don’t like hurting people but I’m just so damn good at it.”
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