It sometimes happens that a professional boxer starts his career successfully, winning fight after fight, he climbs the career ladder and attracts an army of fans. Everything is going great, but at some point, he enters the ring against a stronger opponent and loses. After this devastating defeat, his career declines and soon collapses altogether. Such is the story of the promising American boxer Donnie Long, nicknamed the “Master of Disaster”. His defeat in a duel with Mike Tyson was the beginning of the end of his professional career.

‘Iron’ Mike Tyson admits to being a ‘megalomaniac’ in the 1990s

Mike Tyson got raw about his ways during the 1990s as his life went off the rails on the back of becoming the youngest heavyweight champ.

Basketball superstar Dennis Rodman spoke about and to Tyson during an episode of a Hotboxin Podcast.

Rodman said Tyson should be placed on a sports pedestal in the same ilk as his former team-mate Michael Jordan. The multiple NBA Championships winner with the Detroit Pistons and the Chicago Bulls didn’t hold anything back.

Sitting down with the ‘Baddest Man on the Planet’ to enjoy a smoke, Rodman began with a long speech on how his career ran alongside Tyson’s.

‘Iron’ Mike and Rodman admitted being selfish during their rise as top sportsmen. Tyson even realized he was a ‘megalomaniac.’

The pair were young up-and-comers during the mid-eighties. Tyson excelled early to make history in boxing.

As Tyson reigned supreme over his code, Rodman undoubtedly made a name for himself at the Pistons. He eventually won basketball’s biggest prize in 1989 and 1990.

Moving to the Chicago Bulls via a brief spell at the San Antonio Spurs, Rodman won another three NBA Championships.

In 1998, Tyson was back to being the king of Pay-Per-View again. The pair would retire around the same time in 2005-2006.

Mike Tyson, in his early years

“One thing I like about Mike Tyson when he came up at fifteen, sixteen years old is our life is so parallel, as far as when we’ve been brought up,” said Rodman. “We didn’t have any guidance.

“We just wanted to do our profession. And we were pretty green behind the ears.

“But when you meet good people at the beginning, that’s putting you in the right direction to do something very well.

“That’s very heartfelt because once you have been abandoned when you’re a youth, like twelve, thirteen, or fourteen years old.

“You feel like you are lost. You have two directions: either go to jail or die because you are in that environment.”

“I lived in East Dallas in a rough neighborhood, and Mike, you grew up in Brownsville, Brooklyn. You can’t imagine what it was like.”

Dennis Rodman

On having a platform of millions of followers due to their achievements, Rodman added: “People don’t realize today social media and Instagram.

“It gives us an outlet to show people and express to the world the fact that what we did back then.

“Some kids don’t understand cos everything is so easy for them now. Everything is handed to them on a silver platter.

“But if you realize living like that, it’s a b****, and then suddenly come over the mountain top, and it’s still shining, baby.

“Were living and were an inspiration to the world now.

“The fact that it’s tough to live life playing sports today and trying to be a parent. That isn’t easy. Mike knows what I am saying.

“He did an interview [with Sugar Ray Leonard]. You really showed the world the human side of you. I love that interview.

“I paid attention to it because, with his kids, I realized what he was going through. All the trials and tribulations with marriage and stuff.

“I went through the same s***, and I am still going through it today.

Megalomaniacs

“I’m trying to keep myself together and focus because I got a lot of life to live, just like you, Mike. I’m trying to fight and trying to love my kids.

“Back then (in the 1990s), I didn’t give a s***. It was all about me, me, and that sucked.”

Mike responded to Rodman’s words: “That’s why we love. I got told self-preservation over everything.

“Over my children, over everything you are. [They said it’s] more important than everything, your children and your wife.

“You take care of yourself, and that’s what I was taught. None of this can work without you. I became a megalomaniac. It was all about me.”

Dennis Rodman responded: “And that stand-up thing, he is powerful doing it’s like Rembrandt, DaVinci or Steve Jobs. You know, all these guys are iconic, and they died.

“That vision of how life should be, it should be taught, learned, and listened to. People don’t realize until you go through it.

“It’s like Mike Tyson has a good sense of what he wants the world to know. And the sad thing about it is you saw the heads on Mount Rushmore. Tyson is one (of those).

“He should be up there with Michael Jordan. Guys like that are everlasting men, everlasting.”