Hall of Famer and former heavyweight champion Mike Tyson is a huge fan of Tyson Fury.
Fury's father named him after the heavyweight great, Tyson.
Fury will challenge WBC heavyweight world champion Deontay Wilder this coming Saturday night at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas.
Tyson is also a fan of Wilder, who has knocked out every fighter in the span of his career - except Fury.
“I like both of them as fighters,” said Tyson to BT Sport.
“They both came from nothing and achieved becoming heavyweight champion. You have to respect that. I was in their position one time,” said the former champion. In the first fight, I was hoping for Tyson Fury. I always pulled for him because he was named after me. That is the natural thing to do, right?
“I was always biased toward him. He is very likable. He is a nice person. I never understood Tyson. I just kept seeing him beating decent fighters. I didn’t know if they were washed up or throwing the fights because Tyson did not look like he should be beating them.
“But he was and he was laughing at them. That made me a fan. He is so much better than what he appears to be and looks like."
Tyson, like many other observers, was shocked when Fury survived in the final round of his first bout with Wilder in December 2018. In the twelfth and final round, Fury was dropped really hard and appeared to be out cold. In a shocking moment, he was able to rise up out of nowhere and got to his feet to continue the fight. The bout ended in a controversial twelve round draw.
“He amazed a lot of people by getting up. He showed he is tough. He got up and won the final round. I thought it was over, then he got up and it was like Rocky. He then fought back. It was amazing, it made me a fan. It takes great fortitude and belief,” Tyson said.