Despite making his name in the world of boxing, Mike Tyson has a long association with professional wrestling and was part of one of the biggest angles of all time.
Tyson appeared on Monday Night Raw after the 1998 Royal Rumble and got into a memorable in-ring scuffle with Stone Cold Steve Austin. In the weeks that followed the heavyweight boxing star appeared to align with Austin’s WrestleMania challenger Shawn Michaels and D-X.
At WrestleMania 14, Tyson served as the “Special Enforcer” and counted the pin as Austin won the World Championship. Michaels, who had believed Tyson was part of D-X confronted him after the bell only to get knocked out.
Speaking on a recent episode of his Grilling JR podcast, legendary announcer Jim Ross looked back at the angle and Tyson’s involvement. Ross, who was on hand to call the action at the time dismissed suggestions that WWE looked at getting Tyson to have a match.
“The bottom line is we never considered Mike to wrestle. You’re not going to put an untrained brute in the ring with a guy that you’re counting on to lead the company who has a bad neck. You’re just not going to do it, it’s a risk/reward scenario that’s out of proportion. Mike was never considered, at least to my knowledge.”
Mike Tyson Would Much Rather Work With WWE Than AEW
On an episode of his own podcast with special guest The Undertaker, Mike Tyson watched back the main event of WrestleMania 14. The former Undisputed World Heavyweight Champion said that he was struggling financially at the time and Vince McMahon gave him a “couple of million.”
Tyson added that even if AEW offer him more money, he’d always rather work for WWE.
H/t to Wrestling Inc