Beating Holmes a promise l made to Muhammad Ali is favourite fight ever-Mike Tyson 

Boxing legend Mike Tyson had a remarkable 56 fights during his professional career, including some of the most high profile bouts in the history of the heavyweight division.

His infamous two fight saga with Evander Holyfield, remarkable upset loss to Buster Douglas and history making world title win against Trevor Berbick are but just a few of the many memorable fights ‘Iron Mike’ took part in.

However, in a recent interview with Joe Budden TV, Tyson explained the personal reasons as to why his 1988 clash with Larry Holmes remains his favourite above all others.

“Larry Holmes. Because I was a young kid, I was nineteen and he was probably about 40. Larry Holmes fought Muhammad Ali and he kicked his a**.”

“The next day, my mentor [Cus D’amato] called Ali and said ,”Why’d you let that bum beat on you?” He told Ali, “I’ve got this fourteen year old kid, he’s going to be champion of the world – tell him to stick with me.”

“So Ali told me, “Cus is my man, he’s going to make you champion of the world.” Then I told him, “When I get big, I’ll get him [Holmes] for you.”

Tyson avenged the defeat of his hero, Muhammad Ali, to Holmes in a fight billed as ‘Heavyweight History’ on January 22, 1988.

Despite holding the record for the youngest heavyweight world champion in history to the present day, there is still a view that somehow Tyson failed to fulfil his potential, due to the derailing of his career by a jail stint in the first half of the 1990s.

Tyson was last seen in the ring in an exhibition against Roy Jones Jr, and although he has no immediate plans to return, he hasn’t entirely ruled one last dance out.