MIKE TYSON had to 'push the s***' out of WWF legend Stone Cold Steve Austin during an iconic square-off between the two men 24 years ago.

It happened during an episode of Monday Night Raw in January 1998 as part of the build-up to WrestleMania 14 and fans still talk about it to this day.

Promoter Vince McMahon invited heavyweight boxing legend Tyson into the ring to go toe-to-toe with The Texas Rattlesnake.

And Stone Cold goaded 'The Baddest Man on the Planet by saying: “I respect what you’ve done in the boxing world.

"But when you step in this ring, you’re messing with Stone Cold Steve Austin, and that’s something you don’t do.

“What I’m telling you is that I want a piece of Mike Tyson’s ass … I can beat you any day of the week, twice on Sunday."

And after the wrestling icon showed Tyson two middle fingers he responds by brutally shoving him to the floor of the ring.

Now, in an interview published on Essentially Sports, Austin has revealed what was happing behind the scenes before the clash.

Most read in Sport

JOIN SUN VEGAS: GET A FREE £10 BONUS WITH 100s OF GAMES TO PLAY AND NO DEPOSIT REQUIRED (Ts&Cs apply)

He said: "“I didn’t know what Mike was going to say. I kind of had the broad points about it.

"But, it was just a deal where Mike went out and said what he said and I got in his face and flipped him off.

"He had to push the s*** out of me because if he just barely pushed me, he’d look like a punk. So, he pushed the s*** out of me.”

It all happened around the time that Iron Mike had been slapped with a £2.4million fine and had his boxing license revoked for infamously biting a chunk out of Evander Holyfield's ear during a fight.

WWE – then titled the WWF – was struggling to compete with rival promotion WCW that year with declining ratings and a loss of advertisers, but Tyson's involvement helped rejuvenate the franchise.

Source: Read Full Article