BREAKING NEWS: Mike Tyson Reveals True Colors After Death of Fighter’s Wife He Defeated in 89 Seconds .giang

Mike Tyson may still have a reputation as the one-time baddest man on the planet – but a former opponent has revealed the superstar’s caring nature.

Tyson’s former opponent and now friend Peter “The Hurricane” McNeeley has shed light on how the former undisputed heavyweight champion helped him through one of the “toughest moments in his life.”

Ahead of the showdown with Jake Paul, in an exclusive interview, McNeeley told the Mirror US Sports how caring Tyson was a rock to him after his wife Annarita, 53, suddenly passed away last June (2023). Tyson, who famously battered McNeeley in 89 seconds during his famous comeback fight in 1995, spoke of his “brother” being a huge support during the heartbreak.

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His wife Annarita passed away at her home on June 14, 2023 – aged just 53. Her 56-year-old Boston boxing icon was rocked to his core at the shock death, but his spirits were lifted by the iconic fighter’s outreach.

“It was tough when my wife died. It’s still difficult to talk about,” McNeely said. “And she was not dead two days and Mike Tyson called me up. Now because he’s a West Coast guy now when he called me, I didn’t get it as my phone was off and I was already in bed sleeping on the East Coast.

“But the next day I saw the missed calls and I didn’t recognize the number he called from. Then he texted me to send his condolences and I called him right up. He answered and he said, ‘What’s up, brother…I’m so sorry for your loss.”

Quivering with emotion in his voice McNeeley added: “That class and respect from the two-time champ. That just meant a lot to me.”

McNeeley admitted that he’d prefer to keep intimate details of their conversation under wraps out of respect for their friendship. But he added: “People don’t know that side of Mike Tyson. He does a lot of work for good causes. He looks after his friends. He’s very loyal.

“It’s nice to have a friend like Mike just because we don’t speak for a few years doesn’t make any difference. He has become like a brother. Mike is not a bad person. Grief is a process. And Mike understands about grief because he lost an 8-year-old daughter. That will test a man mentally.”

When asked about his mindset today regarding the loss of his wife. McNeeley responded: “I don’t want say anything about her passing, except that I loved her very much. And you know what life goes on. And she probably would think that as well. At least that’s what I like to think.”

Tyson famously battered McNeeley in less than a minute and a half during his famous comeback fight in 1995 – when he made his professional return after a three-year prison sentence having been convicted of rape. McNeeley was devastated by Tyson’s speed and precision, in the then highest ever pay-per-view TV audience.

But the exposure and his media-friendly nature meant McNeeley became a celebrity after the fight starring in TV commercials and landing speaking deals. The Medfield-raised star was always upset that he never got to express his thanks to Tyson, until a bizarre connection played out in September 2008.

“This one time Mike was in Boston and by coincidence he happened to be driven by my old limo driver Dave. And Dave called me up and said: ‘Pete you never going to believe this I am driving Mike Tyson? Should I say anything about you?’

“I said ‘hell yeah…you might help me get the rematch!’ I just got a message that Mike thought was funny and said Mike would like to have dinner one time if you have time. Some time passed and Dave came by and said Mike wants to take me out to dinner.

“I got home and Tyson was on my voice mail on my landline asking if I wanted to hook up. Next thing I know, the limo driver was banging on my door saying Tyson was at his hotel room in Cambridge, with his second wife and their kids.

“Mike shook my hand, hugged me and talked to me for about 15 minutes. I am still grateful that I got that time with him, because things were going on in his life far greater than meeting me.

“It was nice to be with him without it being TV, cameras, a press conference or fight related. These things get blown out of proportion around these fights and Mike. People are just people. They all put their pants on the same way.

“He came across as a kind, down-to-earth, humble guy. It was pretty special. I did not hear from until nine years later, in ’07 when he got my landline phone number from somebody and called me and we ended up talking for a few months.

“We used to call each other, and every time without fail he would ask: ‘Peter how is your father’. That is respect. He knew that my dad fought Floyd Patterson and Jose Torres, who were two of his mentor Cus D’Amato’s fiighters. And of course Mike knows his boxing history.

“It is nice to talk to him on a normal level. I am not one of his best friends, but it was great to have connected like we did. Mike has talked about me in public and has always said nice things about me. He is a great guy – I love the guy. I am glad he is doing so well. And when Mike is doing good. I am doing good. And our names are attached henceforth.”

McNeeley reckons that Tyson will be victorious in his latest comeback fight. He will fight YouTuber turned-fighter Jake Paul on Netflix from the AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas on November 15.