Mike Tyson took to the streets ahead of his fight against Jake Paul, sparring with one of the greatest boxing punchers of all time.
Ahead of his blockbuster clash against YouTuber-turned-boxer Paul, Tyson returned to his hometown of Brownsville in Brooklyn on Friday where he reunited with fellow former fighter Shannon Briggs.
With the large crowd growing, tensions reached a boiling point but all in good spirits as the two former heavyweights went from brawling to hugging.
Tyson ripped off his shirt to flex his impressive physique at 57 before Briggs followed suit.
The two then clashed playfully, throwing punches but holding back from causing any real damage – although for the average person, a single blow would probably knock them out.
As Briggs went to pick up Tyson, the two men laughed and hugged each other, calling a truce to their mini-street brawl.
Tyson then posted the following video on his Instagram page with the caption: “Brownsville’s finest, always ready for a fight. I love this guy @cannon_briggs.”
Briggs also posted the clip, writing, “@miketyson and @cannon_briggs in Brownsville doing a hair straightener in front of #AtlanticTowers!!!! @smoothedahustler the referee!!!! It’s happening!!!”
Although Iron Mike’s destructive power is well documented, having won his first 19 professional fights by knockout, Briggs is not a feather-fisted fighter.
The 52-year-old, who also grew up in Brownsville, made a career as a heavy hitter and left former unified heavyweight champion Lennox Lewis seeing stars in their 1998 fight.
The legendary British boxer ultimately emerged victorious, inflicting only a second defeat on his record at the time, and revealed in 2015 to Ring Magazine that Briggs was the hardest puncher he had ever faced.
Lewis admitted: “He lacked stamina, but Briggs certainly knew how to put his weight behind a punch.
“Unfortunately for him, you need the full package when you’re facing me, so the power isn’t enough.”
In their hard-fought fight in 1998, huge punches were thrown in the opening rounds that left Lewis reeling and an upset was expected.
However, The Lion showed why he was WBC heavyweight champion and recovered to defeat Briggs by technical knockout in the fifth round – but his opponent marked him out.
Considering that Lewis has faced some of the biggest names in boxing such as Evander Holyfield, Frank Bruno and even Tyson, this is certainly high praise.
Tyson and Paul will meet again in the ring on July 20 despite a 31-year age gap between the two fighters.
Nonetheless, the event has generated huge interest, particularly in seeing if Tyson has any more power in the tank – and recent footage might give Paul reason to feel a little worried when he steps into the ring this summer.
Mike Tyson took to the streets ahead of his fight against Jake Paul, sparring with one of the greatest boxing punchers of all time.
Ahead of his blockbuster clash against YouTuber-turned-boxer Paul, Tyson returned to his hometown of Brownsville in Brooklyn on Friday where he reunited with fellow former fighter Shannon Briggs.
With the large crowd growing, tensions reached a boiling point but all in good spirits as the two former heavyweights went from brawling to hugging.
Tyson ripped off his shirt to flex his impressive physique at 57 before Briggs followed suit.
The two then clashed playfully, throwing punches but holding back from causing any real damage – although for the average person, a single blow would probably knock them out.
As Briggs went to pick up Tyson, the two men laughed and hugged each other, calling a truce to their mini-street brawl.
Tyson then posted the following video on his Instagram page with the caption: “Brownsville’s finest, always ready for a fight. I love this guy @cannon_briggs.”
Briggs also posted the clip, writing, “@miketyson and @cannon_briggs in Brownsville doing a hair straightener in front of #AtlanticTowers!!!! @smoothedahustler the referee!!!! It’s happening!!!”
Although Iron Mike’s destructive power is well documented, having won his first 19 professional fights by knockout, Briggs is not a feather-fisted fighter.
The 52-year-old, who also grew up in Brownsville, made a career as a heavy hitter and left former unified heavyweight champion Lennox Lewis seeing stars in their 1998 fight.
The legendary British boxer ultimately emerged victorious, inflicting only a second defeat on his record at the time, and revealed in 2015 to Ring Magazine that Briggs was the hardest puncher he had ever faced.
Lewis admitted: “He lacked stamina, but Briggs certainly knew how to put his weight behind a punch.
“Unfortunately for him, you need the full package when you’re facing me, so the power isn’t enough.”
In their hard-fought fight in 1998, huge punches were thrown in the opening rounds that left Lewis reeling and an upset was expected.
However, The Lion showed why he was WBC heavyweight champion and recovered to defeat Briggs by technical knockout in the fifth round – but his opponent marked him out.
Considering that Lewis has faced some of the biggest names in boxing such as Evander Holyfield, Frank Bruno and even Tyson, this is certainly high praise.
Tyson and Paul will meet again in the ring on July 20 despite a 31-year age gap between the two fighters.
Nonetheless, the event has generated huge interest, particularly in seeing if Tyson has any more power in the tank – and recent footage might give Paul reason to feel a little worried when he steps into the ring this summer.