Mike Tyson has taken to the streets ahead of his bout against Jake Paul, play-fighting with one of boxing’s biggest ever hitters.
Ahead of his blockbuster clash against YouTuber-turned-boxer Paul, Tyson returned to his hometown Brownsville in Brooklyn on Friday where he reunited with another former fighter Shannon Briggs.
With a large crowd growing, tensions reached boiling point but all in good fun as the two former heavyweights went from brawling to hugging.
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Tyson ripped off his shirt to flex his impressive physique at 57 before Briggs followed suit.
The two then had a playful scrap, throwing punches but restraining themselves from doing any real damage – though to the average person, just one hit would probably knock them out.
As Briggs went to pick Tyson up, the two laughed and hugged it out, calling a truce to their mini-street brawl.
Tyson went on to post the subsequent video on his Instagram page with the caption: “Brownsville’s finest always ready for a brawl. Love this guy @cannon_briggs.”
Briggs also posted the clip, writing: “@miketyson and @cannon_briggs in Brownsville having a straightener in front of #AtlanticTowers !!!! @smoothedahustler the referee!!!! It’s on!!!”
While Iron Mike’s own destructive power is well-documented, winning his first 19 professional bouts by knockout, Briggs is no feather-fisted fighter.
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The 52-year-old, who also grew up in Brownsville, made a career out of being a heavy hitter and left former unified heavyweight champion Lennox Lewis seeing stars in their 1998 bout.
The legendary British boxer emerged victorious in the end, inflicting just a second defeat on his record at the time, and revealed in 2015 to Ring Magazine that Briggs was the hardest hitter he had ever faced.
Lewis admitted: “He lacked endurance but Briggs certainly knew how to put his bodyweight behind a punch.
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“Unfortunately for him you need the full package when you face me so power isn’t enough.”
In their furious fight in 1998, huge punches were being launched in the early rounds that left Lewis staggered and an upset was on the cards.
Considering that Lewis has faced some of boxing’s biggest names such as Evander Holyfield, Frank Bruno and even Tyson, it is certainly high praise.
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Tyson and Paul will meet in the ring on July 20 despite a 31-year age gap between the two fighters.
Nevertheless, there has been huge interest in the event, particularly to see if Tyson still has power left in the tank – and recent footage might give Paul reason to feel a little bit worried when he steps into the ring this summer.
