Two of the most menacing punchers in boxing history got a chance to see each other eye-to-eye during a promotional event for the Tyson Fury-Francis Ngannou heavyweight showdown in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
Those knockout artists are none other than Manny Pacquiao and Mike Tyson. At one point, the eight-division champion and the former heavyweight king got to talk to each other atop the squared circle and appeared to have nothing but the utmost respect for each other.
One fan captured the special moment and the Filipino boxing icon made sure that his supporters would get a glimpse of the legends-only encounter. On Monday, the General Santos City slugger uploaded the clip on his Instagram stories.
Seeing The Pacman and Iron Mike inside one ring was already a sight to behold. But to see them genuinely connect with each other just takes it to a totally different level. If this meeting were of basketball icons, it would be like watching Michael Jordan and LeBron James play a friendly game of bente-uno.
If you’d look closer into their colorful careers, Pacquiao and Tyson have a lot in common. For one, both of them were the sport’s most fearsome fighters at the peak of their powers. Second, they were the undisputed face of boxing during their prime—the Pacman in the early to late 2000s and Iron Mike in the mid- to late-80s. Third, their in-ring aggressiveness were second to none. In fact, a young Manny Pacquiao was regarded by a few fans and pundits as a Pacquiao a mini-Mike Tyson.
If you’ve come across Tyson’s interviews in various social media outlets, he has always admitted how big a Pacquiao fan he is. And, during their chance meeting in Riyadh, mutual admiration showed as the two legendary pugilists shared smiles, shook each other’s hand, and even hugged like long lost brothers.
Yep, there were sparks, indeed. Only this time, they were sparks of respect and admiration and maybe even some brotherly love.
And it was quite the sight no doubt.
(MDB)