At 53 years old, Mike Tyson hasn't lost any of the power or speed that made him arguably the best heavyweight boxer of all-time. Tyson is preparing to step back into the ring for a charity boxing tournament, and he hired mixed martial arts trainer Rafael Cordeiro to get him into fighting shape.
Despite retiring 15 years ago, the former WBA, WBC, and IBF champion is still a formidable opponent in the ring. Tyson shared a video of himself training with Cordeiro, and his quick and vicious punches caught his new trainer by surprise.
Speaking with ESPN's Ariel Helwani, Cordeiro said that he felt like Tyson had the power and speed of somebody more than half his age.
"As soon as we started training, I said, 'My Lord.' I didn't know what to expect from a guy who hasn't hit mitts for, I think, almost ten years. So I didn't expect to see what I saw," Cordeiro said. "I saw a guy with the same speed, the same power as a guy who is 21, 22-years-old."
Cordeiro said that he feared for his life while he was sparring with Tyson.
"When I hold mitts, I like to hold them close to my face, and the first time, I saw his right hook, and I saw my whole life [flash before me]. My wife, my daughters, my dog – I see everything because I thought, 'I'm going to die here.'"
Cordeiro added that Tyson's right hook is strong enough to kill somebody if he lands it clean.
"When you talk about power, I held his right hook and thought, 'He is going to kill somebody.'"
Photo: Getty Images