During his incredible run atop the heavyweight boxing world, Mike Tyson was the most feared fighter on the planet.
But even “Iron Mike” has his nightmares.
In an interview with ESNEWS recently, Tyson noted that one current boxer scares him: David Benavidez.
“He’s so underrated but so over-polarised here,” Tyson said (thanks to Seconds Out for the quotes). “Listen, I’d be afraid to fight him too if I was in that division.
“No one even has a chance against him, and I’m talking facts.”
Benavidez, a 27-year-old from Arizona, improved to 29-0 with a June victory over Oleksandr Gvozdyk. He claimed the vacant WBC interim light heavyweight belt that night.
Other notables wins for Benavidez include a 2023 finish of Demetrius Andrade, a decision over Caleb Plant that same year and a 2022 third-round TKO vs. David Lemieux. Most want Benavidez to face Canelo Alvarez next, but that remains unbooked.
Mike Tyson Remains On Track To Fight Jake Paul
As for Tyson, he is still scheduled for an upcoming meeting with Jake Paul live on Netflix. The 58-year-old last competed in 2005, falling to Kevin McBride.
During his prime, Tyson held the WBA, WBC and IBF titles, and was the undisputed champion for a short time before losing to Buster Douglas in 1990.
Earlier this year, it was announced that Tyson and Paul would meet. The bout has been rescheduled once, and is now set for November 15 from Dallas and AT&T Stadium.
