Andrew Flintoff has revealed that boxing legend Mike Tyson has given him some advice on how to cope with his debut in the ring later this month.
The 34-year-old will be involved in his first boxing match against a yet-to-be-named opponent at the Manchester Arena on November 30.
"It was amazing to meet Tyson because as a kid he was one of my heroes," Flintoff is quoted as saying by the Daily Mail. "So to have him come down to the gym – not only that, but to talk to me about it all was amazing.
"He spoke a lot about the emotion of boxing and it was all relevant to how I was feeling. So to hear it from Mike Tyson made me realise it was okay for me to feel like that too.
"He talked a lot about what he went through pre-fight and in the run up to a fight; the emotional states he was in and the nerves he experienced before he fought."
Flintoff added that he is inspired by Tyson's comments.
"He is obviously one of the best boxers ever, so hearing what he had to say gave me a lot of inspiration," said the Englishman. "I went on the pads in the front of him which was a pretty surreal experience.
"I have really taken his comments on board and I've just got my head down and am working hard to make small improvements each and every day."
Flintoff retired from all forms of professional cricket in September 2010.
Subhankar Mondal
