Mike Tyson prepared for his fights in an unusual way: by crying. "I always cry before every fight. That's just me," the former American boxer once revealed to Essentially Sports. "I’m getting ready to turn into a person I don’t like. Jealousy, guilt… everything comes out."

Tyson is a heavyweight boxing legend, still holding the record as the youngest heavyweight champion in history (winning the WBC belt in late 1986 at the age of 20). In his professional career, he lost 6 and won 50 fights, including 44 knockouts.

Muhammad Ali, whose real name was Cassius Marcellus Clay Jr., abstained from sex, avoiding his wife for up to two months before important fights. This was explained as a way to help the American legend maintain focus and physical strength, similar to Manny Pacquiao later on.

Ali is considered the greatest boxer in history. He made his professional debut on 29/10/1960 and took only four years to become the world heavyweight champion at the age of 22 after defeating Sonny Liston. Throughout his professional career, Ali fought 61 matches, winning 56, including 37 by knockout, and losing 5.

One of Ali's few defeats throughout his long career was against fellow American Joe Frazier in 1971. Before the boxing world knew of the "fight of the century" between Floyd Mayweather and Manny Pacquiao, the Ali-Frazier fight was the first confrontation to be given that illustrious title.

Manny Pacquiao also prepared for fights by avoiding his wife, communicating only with his supervisor. In addition, the Filipino boxer had a unique culinary ritual: eating Bulalo, a traditional Filipino bone soup prepared with cabbage and spices by his personal chef, Nonoy Neri.

Pacquiao has been boxing since 1995. His first world title was the WBC flyweight belt in 12/1998, when he defeated Thai boxer Chatchai Sasakul.

Besides the buzz from the hundreds-of-millions-of-USD boxing match with Mayweather in 2015, Pacquiao also set many records during his nearly 30 years in the ring. He is the only boxer in history to win world titles in eight different weight classes and is considered one of the greatest fighters of all time. In his professional career, Pacquiao won 62 fights, including 39 knockouts, lost 8, and drew 2.

Tyson Fury, on the other hand, had a habit opposite to Ali and Pacquiao: masturbating to increase testosterone. "I have to do it to keep active and keep my testosterone up for the fight. I don't want it to go down," the British boxer said.

Fury, 36, had a turbulent career. He made a name for himself by defeating "Dr. Steelhammer" Wladimir Klitschko and capturing four prestigious titles – WBA, IBF, IBO, and WBO – in 2015. But later, the British boxer was stripped of his titles and left the ring due to personal problems.

In 2024, Fury lost two consecutive heavyweight unification bouts to Oleksandr Usyk and then announced his retirement for the fifth time. The British boxer ended his career with 34 wins, one draw, and two losses, never having been knocked out. He is considered one of the greatest heavyweight boxers in history.

Floyd Mayweather ate at least six steaks, combined with pasta, potatoes, chicken, and vegetables, after weigh-ins. This wasn't just a meal to replenish energy but also a way to "feed" his enormous ego and confidence before a fight. According to his ex-girlfriend Josie Harris, Mayweather was very focused on eating properly to prepare physically and mentally.

Mayweather is also one of the best boxers of all time, having won championships in five different weight classes. He announced his retirement in 2015 but later broke his word, returning in 8/2017 to fight Conor McGregor and reach the milestone of 50 undefeated fights in his professional career. Previously, he won a featherweight bronze medal at the 1996 Olympics, three Golden Gloves titles, and the US Amateur Boxing Championship during his amateur career.

Nikita Tszyu revealed his special pre-fight diet, which includes drinking his wife's breast milk and consuming placenta pills. The Australian boxer said he experimented during sparring sessions and felt like he was receiving superpowers.

Nikita Tszyu, born in 1998 in Sydney, is the son of legend Kostya Tszyu and the younger brother of champion Tim Tszyu. In 11/2023, he won the Australian Super Welterweight Championship (from 66.68 to 69.85 kg).

In 2024, Tszyu defended his Australian title against Danilo Creati and then defeated Koen Mazoudier to win two more belts – IBF Australasian and WBO Inter-Continental Super Welterweight – bringing his record to 10 wins, including 8 knockouts.

The 1980s were a golden age for boxing, with names like Thomas Hearns, Marvin Hagler, Sugar Ray Leonard, and Roberto Duran.

During this time, Wilbert "Vampire" Johnson stood out with an extremely bizarre pre-fight ritual. He was brought to the ring in a coffin, then rose amidst the stage lights, donned a black cape, and gave a spooky smile to the audience. This ritual not only created a strong impression but also confused opponents, giving him a psychological advantage.

Johnson won 29 of his 39 professional fights, winning the Indiana State Middleweight Championship before retiring to become a bus driver.

Juan Manuel Marquez, a four-division Mexican champion, once shocked people with his strange ritual: drinking his own urine during training.

While filming the HBO 24/7 program before his fight with Mayweather, Marquez believed that this helped replenish nutrients and increase endurance for high-intensity training. However, he later abandoned this habit, admitting that it wasn't really necessary but was still part of his mental and physical training process.

In his professional career, Marquez won 56 of 64 fights, with 40 knockouts. He was known for his extraordinary resilience, accurate counter-punching, and tactical patience, winning WBA, WBC, IBF, and WBO titles.

Former two-division champion Timothy Bradley once revealed his habit of not showering for at least a week before a fight. The American boxer wanted to maintain high adrenaline levels, creating a feeling of excitement and readiness for the fight. He believed that a dirty body made his mentality more aggressive and determined.

Bradley competed professionally from 2004 to 2016. The American boxer lost two, drew one, and won 33 with 13 knockouts, winning the WBC and WBO welterweight belts. He defended his titles multiple times and was known for his tactical fighting style and high endurance.

Hong Duy

Photo: AP, WBA, Reuters, No Limit Boxing.