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Legendary Boxing Figure Mike Tyson Knocked Out Training Partners So He Could Watch ‘Tom and Jerry’

For some, boxing is a challenge and one of their greatest accomplishments. But for Mike Tyson, sometimes it was an inconvenience. You see Tyson really loved watching cartoons. And no one got between ol’ Iron Mike and his ‘Tom and Jerry’ fix.

The boxing legend reportedly made sure his training sessions ended early. And he wasn’t afraid to put his competition on the mat and down for the count. In his prime, Tyson was a machine and someone you wouldn’t want to tangle with. So it’s not surprising that he could easily end the fight whenever he wanted to. I mean a compilation of his knockouts shows why he was so dangerous.

In an interview with the Sun, Tyson’s former bodyguard Rudy Gonzalez reflected on working for the champ. Let’s just say his job was made easier by the fact that Tyson never needed much protection. After all, his arms could have probably registered as lethal weapons.

But Gonzalez revealed he once asked why Tyson went so hard during training. Forget float like a butterfly, sting like a bee. Tyson would truck his training partners like a cement truck. Practicing in Vegas, Tyson often reserved five-hour time slots for his training. But in what quickly became the norm, Tyson rarely ever made it to the five-hour mark.

Gonzalez once asked him what was up. Tyson reportedly told him:  “If I keep it going, we will miss Tom and Jerry cartoons.”

Mike Tyson in the Ring

That’s right, the cartoon involving a mouse and a cat ended up being Tyson’s motivation. Well, it definitely seemed to work out. During Tyson’s career, he had 44 knockouts. Perhaps all that cartoon violence fueled Tyson on his path to being one of boxing’s notorious figures.

But Gonzalez wasn’t done painting a picture of Tyson’s day-to-day. He once described the difference in Tyson in and out of the ring. According to the bodyguard, Tyson showed his training partners respect before getting in the ring.

“He would be the nicest guy beforehand asking the sparring partners, ‘How you doing today, how’s the family?’ Then he would just knock out five guys all out so within an hour so there was nobody left,” Gonzalez continued.

Tyson quickly built a reputation for himself in the gym. He even took his aggression out on the bag, breaking a couple during his training. As a result, many other boxers refused to go a round with the legend.

Gonzalez continued: “I saw him punch the heavy bag so hard it broke a few times from the chains and the other boxers would just leave saying, ‘We are not f—king with you today. I do not care how much money you pay me.’”