Mike Tyson has revealed he hated Michael Jackson’s guts after a backstage snub at one of the pop icon’s concerts.
The boxing legend is currently preparing for his in-ring comeback at age 54 in an exhibition fight against Roy Jones Jr next month.
During his heyday of the late 80s and early 90s, the ‘Baddest Man on the Planet’ was one of the most recognisable and biggest names in the world.
One man who enjoyed just as much popularity and spotlight, was the late ‘King of Pop’, Jackson.
However, Tyson has admitted he held a lot of anger towards the musician until the pair did eventually hang out.
Speaking on T.I.’s expediTIously podcast, the former world champion said: “I met Mike one day, I think he was at a concert in Cleveland, I’m with Don King.
“So me and Don come in, right? And I’m a champ and everything, did all this s***, undisputed.
“So Don goes and Don gives Michael Jackson the ‘peace’ sign, like this. And then so Michael gives Don the ‘peace’ sign, and so I give Michael the ‘peace’ sign, and Michael put his hand down.
“In a way, I say, ‘Did he play me? Nah, he didn’t play me, he just didn’t see me. I knew he didn’t play me, cause I’m f***ing champ.”
Tyson and King continued to go backstage for the show – but the disrespect continued.
He continued: “So we went backstage, right? So I’m backstage, and so there’s his backstage, some of his singers and stuff.
“He’s on stage, it’s over I’m signing autographs and stuff, so Michael comes over and he talks to Don, he doesn’t talk to me. … I say ‘let me just go on and meet Mike’, cause that’s really why I’m here, I want to meet Mike.
“And then I go over to meet Mike,… and he goes like this, ‘Don’t I know you from somewhere? Where do I know you from?’
“He broke my ego, he crushed me.
“I said ‘No, I’m just a fan, a pleasure to meet you, sir. He said, ‘OK’, and then he got out and went in the car.”
Tyson admitted he refused to let go of the snub for years until Jackson finally invited him to hang out – an offer initially rejected by the fighter.
He added: “I said ‘OK I’m coming, I’ll be over there’, right?
“So I got on a plane, went over there, hung out, and we just started hanging out together. And I said ‘F*** man, he’s a good guy.
“But in my mind, I said ‘Why’d you play me though, Mike, why’d you play me like that? You knew who I was, why’d you play me?”
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