A young pundit’s memory of dangerous Mike Tyson
Pundit Spencer Oliver recalled a certain time he saw Mike Tyson in person and how dangerous the American looked.
Spencer Oliver is a former boxer who now works as a pundit for Sky Sports, but also runs a boxing school in Edgware, London. The Brit hosts a boxing podcast called “Pound for Pound” with Jake Wood.
Speaking at talkSPORT Fight Night, Oliver said the following:
‘I remember when Mike Tyson came over here and boxed Lou Savarese up in Scotland.
‘I grew up listening to Mike Tyson, he was my childhood hero, he inspired me into the sport of boxing.
‘I get up there to do the commentary with Steve Collins next to me.
‘It was pouring down with rain, freezing cold, we had some poor person standing over us holding the umbrella getting soaked themselves.
‘And we were doing the commentary – he took out the referee and Savarese in the first round.
‘Then he started talking about eating Lennox Lewis’ kids.
‘He was steaming when he came out [of the ring].
‘So my childhood hero – who I’ve grown up wishing and wanting to speak to – as he’s walking past me you could feel the heat coming from him and see his nostrils flaring and he was steaming.
‘I thought, “Do not look at this guy, do not make eye contact,” because he would have taken me out.
‘Steve Collins was the same. I went, “Don’t look at him Steve, put your head down, put your head down.”
‘Everyone was going, “Oh Mike, we love you,” but he was raging.’
This testimony brings out clearly how much transformation ‘Iron Mike’ has undergone over the years.