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Before fighting internet celebrities on the canvas, legendary boxer Mike Tyson was a bad, bad man.
Though still feared, Tyson could snap at any moment in his heyday; just ask FOX Sports commentator Chris Myers, who shared a chilling story of an encounter he had with Iron Mike.
Myers joined Chad Withrow and Jonathan Hutton on OutKick Hot Mic to discuss Tyson, who’s been all over headlines after his “boxing match” with Jake Paul on Friday night, streamed via Netflix through continuous buffering.
In his new book, “That Deserves a Wow: Untold Stories of Legends and Champions, Their Wins and Heartbreaks,” Myers recounts a time when he reminisced about Mike Tyson’s career during an interview with the boxer at his home in Las Vegas.
What seemed like an innocuous trip down memory lane quickly turned into a volatile scene as Myers ended up in Tyson’s crosshair.
The story is almost too crazy to believe.
WATCH:
Chris Myers On The Time Mike Tyson Tried To Attack HimHot Mic With Hutton And Withrow
“The Tyson story from the book is that I interviewed him when he got out of prison,” Myers told Hutton and Withrow,” when he was coming back to fight at his home in Las Vegas.”
He continued, “We were going through the covers of Sports Illustrated and I was getting his reaction. ‘Here you are at this age, your first pro fight, here you are winning the title at this age.’ And I showed him the Holyfield ear biting. And I said, ‘And here’s where you bit Evander Holyfield’s ear.'”
READ: Netflix’s Jake Paul-Mike Tyson Brought In Some Serious Eyeballs When It Wasn’t Buffering
Little did the sports analyst know that the infamous scene from the 1997 rematch between Tyson and Holyfield could strike a nerve …
“And Tyson freaked out,” Myers said.
“We’re sitting a few feet across by his pool in Las Vegas at this mansion. And he said I was trying to provoke him.”
Tyson got more than angry; he got physical.
“Tyson started to swing; he’s spitting like a rabid dog, and was lunging towards my face,” Myers attested.
If it weren’t for Tyson’s entourage, Myers might have found himself on Tyson’s knockout list.
“Thankfully, one of his trainer guys who he fights with took his arm before he got to me. I turned more white than I already was,” Myers jokingly shared.
“I was just like, ‘Okay, Mike, if you don’t want to answer the question, that’s fine. We’re leaving.'”
The scene took another turn for Myers, who was hastily trying to leave Tyson’s home.
“Then he’s like, “No, no, no, stay, stay.’ And we finished the interview.”
“After that, I wanted to get out of there,” Myers admitted. “He gave me a tour of his house. Believe me, I didn’t want a tour of his house. He was like, ‘You want some water?’ I’m like, ‘No, I just want to leave.'”
Beneath the tough exterior of the heavyweight boxer lay a deeply human core.
“The two things that stood out from the interview, and this is sad, are the places he felt most comfortable in: in prison and the ring. And he also had trouble describing what the word happiness meant to him. He couldn’t relate to that.
“When I tried to watch this the other night, it was kind of sad to watch. Tyson’s in good shape, but he should fight somebody his own age.”
When it comes to Mike Tyson, approach with caution, at best.
Watch OutKick Hot Mic w/ Hutton & Withrow live from 3 p.m. to 5 p.m.
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