Undisputed heavyweight champion and “baddest man on the planet” Mike Tyson has become an ambassador for sports betting operator Parimatch.

At a press conference, Tyson explained why he saw the partnership as a perfect match, saying:

“This is all about dedicating your life. This is about Parimatch dedicating itself to be the best in the world, and that is why I put my name on the product as I am also dedicated to being the best in the world.”

53-year-old Tyson said he still trains for an hour-and-a-half twice every day, and had already been to the gym twice before the press conference, despite only arriving the evening before.

Inspired by the Greatest

Tyson explained how meeting the late Muhammad Ali while he was “locked up” in a reformed school at age 11 in 1977 helped motivate him in life:

“We watched the movie about The Greatest and then when the film stopped, Muhammad Ali came in – and everybody went crazy,

“We were just a bunch of juvenile, poor, bad, destitute kids. And we were all crazy. And that day I told myself I wanna to be like him. I didn’t know what I was talking about, I ain’t ever seen him fight. I knew nothing about him. I just wanted to be like him. I wanted that respect how people responded when he came to the room and I wanted that.”

Tyson certainly achieved his goal, being inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame in 2011 and the WWE Hall of Fame in 2013, and now joining Parimatch’s prestigious ambassador team alongside UFC icon Conor McGregor.

Still up for a fight

Tyson said McGregor is a “promotional genius” but claimed he could still K.O. in the ring, going on to say:

“I’d beat him… They still want me to fight him. People are paying [lots of] money to see him fight. That is marketing, millions and billions; he’s a genius.”

He also noted that McGregor’s personality and passion represented the future of UFC, pointing out that combat sports are best when focused around individuals, explaining:

“MMA has to have many changes to stay prosperous in the upcoming years. They have to have individual athletes… In boxing you can’t take that many boxers in a room without a problem.”

The past and the future

Reflecting on his career, Tyson said his most important fight was with Larry Holmes in 1988, because Holmes had beaten Muhammad Ali, saying:

“My most important fight was with Larry Holmes in 1988 because he has beaten Muhammad Ali. When I was a kid and I went to that fight I cried for a few years,

“I promised Muhammad Ali that when I get older, I’m gonna avenge him. I trained real hard and prepared for fighting. Everything I did in my life since I woke up in the morning and until I went to bed in the evening was the process of getting ready for the fight. I wake up and do my exercises, I go downstairs, I run, come back, and do more exercises.

“I walk to school, go to the gym, get showered, return to the class. At lunch time I go to the gym. Then when school is over, I walk to the gym. When I do my sit ups, I’m watching the TV, watching fight films, working out while watching. Everything is in preparation for my fight.”

When it came to the crunch, Tyson knocked out Holmes in the fourth round.

Looking forward to his time representing Parimatch, Tyson said:

“This whole experience is gonna be out of this world and I’m just looking forward to it,

“I’m so grateful for being a part of it. This is what I am anticipated to be; the best. That’s why I’m here, and I’m looking forward to a great experience of being involved with the best.”

AYO.NEWS says:

We’d love to know how much Parimatch have forked out for this one! Love him or hate him, Tyson is a true A-lister of the sports world and will be a content creator’s dream to work with, so we’re expecting some pretty cool stuff to come from Parimatch with this partnership – heck, look at what he shared just in the space of a press conference! 

AYO.NEWS says features the opinion of the author and does not necessarily reflect the views of Pentagon Digital Limited.