Mike Tyson may have once been widely known as “the baddest man in the world,” but he wasn’t everyone’s most unsafe opponent. The youngest ever world heavyweight boxing champion fought 58 times in his iconic career, losing only six times.

One of them faced one of the best British boxers of all time, Lennox Lewis.

The only clash between the two came in 2002 in Tennessee, when Lewis, who had all four belts in his division on the line, knocked out the American with a devastating right hook in the eighth round.

One of the British icon’s most memorable shows took place there, but according to the man himself, it wasn’t his most arduous task. Three years before the fight with Tyson, Lewis fought two fights with Evander Holyfield, giving him a chance to unify the heavyweight division.

Their first contest at Madison Square Garden controversially ended in a draw, even though Lewis appeared to dominate the proceedings. However, in the rematch, he made amends by taking a unanimous decision against the man known as “The Real Deal”.

In an Instagram post, the 59-year-old explained why Holyfield was the toughest opponent he had ever faced. “People seem really surprised when I tell them that Holyfield is my toughest opponent, not to be confused with my toughest fight, which was Ray Mercer,” he wrote.

“It’s a huge experience and it’s unthreatening to say that by the time we met for the undisputed heavyweight championship in 1999, he had seen it all. When you combine Evander’s amateur and professional experience, it’s challenging not to notice the success he’s had in the ring.

“I may tease him a bit during our two fights, he knows I won both fights even though he won’t admit it. But seriously, he’s the only man who has fought 24 rounds with me.”

Lewis also mentioned that Holyfield had previously been crowned the undisputed champion at the cruiserweight level, calling him the “best ever” in that weight class. And for what it’s worth, Tyson, who returns to professional boxing this weekend after his clash with Jake Paul, apparently agrees.

He also previously hailed Holyfield as his toughest opponent, praising his dedication and in-ring skills. “A great champion – beard, heart, determination, work ethic, attitude,” he said.

In addition to Lewis and Holyfield, Tyson also suffered losses to James “Buster” Douglas, Danny Williams and Irish journeyman Kevin McBride. That final fight in 2005 was initially his last of his career, and the 58-year-old retired immediately thereafter until his professional fight against Paul this weekend.

Heavyweight boxing legend Butterbean said he is more than ready to replace Mike Tyson should the former world champion suffer any more health complications ahead of his fight with Jake Paul. Butterbean, whose real name is Eric Esch, is also a 58-year-old former boxer who was best known for his ability to knock people out at will.

The Atlanta native was also looking forward to fighting Paul, repeatedly calling out the YouTuber. Butterbean left the ring for good after losing his last fight to Kirk Lawton in 2013.

After undergoing a stunning body transformation, he feels more than ready for another battle in the squared circle. So much so that he promised to be in Texas for Tyson’s fight with Paul.

He took it TikTok and said, “Mike Tyson and Jake Paul, I will be at the fight to challenge the winner of the fight, yes. Mike, if you drop out again, I’ll be there to take your place.”

Esch finished his career with 77 wins, 57 by knockout and only 10 losses. Boxing fans remember him fondly as one of the funniest fighters to ever grace the sport.

By comparison, Tyson initially retired from boxing with 50 wins, 44 knockouts and six knockouts. His fight with Paul will be a fully sanctioned professional fight that will count towards both fighters’ records.

Tyson has not taken part in such a fight since 2005, when he was knocked out after the sixth round against Kevin McBride. Despite suffering a stomach ulcer that delayed his first fight, Tyson assured fans that his health problems were now behind him.

Tyson tipped the scales and achieved an impressive 233 pounds (16 and a half stone). When asked how he felt before the fight, he replied: “I’m fine. Nobody treats me calmly. They want to see if I leave or not and I’m still here. All training is over. Fighting is a party, training is preparation, but fighting is a party.”

Tyson escalated their feud by punching Paul during their last confrontation, leading to their separation. Paul responded to the argument by touching his cheek and laughing at Tyson.

The “problem child” mocked Tyson even more in an interview after the incident. He said: “I didn’t even feel it. He’s enraged, he’s an enraged little elf.

“Mike Tyson, I thought that was a cute slap, buddy, but you’re going to get knocked out tomorrow. Fuck him, fuck him. Hits like a female dog. It’s personal now. He must die.

Jake Paul talked about how boxing gave him purpose in life after dealing with his insecurities.

The YouTuber-turned-boxer was ridiculed for trying to turn pro, but the noise slowly died down after defeating former UFC fighters Nate Diaz and Anderson Silva.

Paul admitted that he has been on a journey to “heal” himself and says he doesn’t care if people bring up issues that make him insecure.

“When they say anything about me, it means that I have dealt with all my insecurities as a man. I looked at myself in the mirror and went on many spiritual, healing journeys,” he told The Independent.

“Not only do you suddenly have no insecurities, but I’ve dealt with them. So if someone brings it up, it’s like… I don’t care because I love myself.”

He added: “I need boxing. Boxing saved me. I was in a very murky place in my life.

“I lacked discipline, routine, community, passion and progress. Boxing gave me all that and I loved punching people and getting punched!

“I love the pace, the strategy, everything behind it. It’s art. Then there is preparation, content, press conferences and outfits. All this made me, to some extent, fall in love with boxing, where I need boxing every day to be able to function. I love this sport and that’s what it’s all about.”