Michael Jordan dominated the NBA in the 1990s, winning 6 titles in 8 seasons. In the two seasons in the middle, his Chicago Bulls didn’t win because Jordan had retired and was playing baseball. His stint in baseball has been widely recorded, but he had another offer in 1994 that many don’t know about, one that could have paid him $15 million.
“This offer is not a joke. We are 100 percent serious,” boxing promoter Dan Duva said in a letter to agent David Falk, as per the Chicago Tribune. “It seems that Mr. Jordan loves the challenge of proving he is the best, regardless of the sport… I would like to offer Michael the ultimate individual sports challenge, an opportunity to fight for the heavyweight championship of the world.”
The article went on to state that it would have guaranteed Michael Jordan a $15 million payout. Evander Holyfield and Michael Moorer were squaring off in the fight, and Duva wanted Jordan to fight the winner. And as confident as Michael Jordan was about his talent, he turned the fight down with an epic response: “I wouldn’t fight those guys if I had a gun in my hand,” said Jordan, as per UPI.
Watching Michael Jordan in the boxing ring would have drawn crowds that would be among the biggest in sporting history. However, Michael had his head on his shoulders, and seemingly preferred to keep it that way, turning it down. Professional boxers are on a different level at the top of their game, and Jordan would only have gotten hurt if he had accepted.
Micahel Jordan Once Got Threatened By Boxing Legend Mike Tyson
This wasn’t the only time Michael Jordan was mentioned in the same breath as boxing legends. Mike Tyson once infamously threatened to beat him up at a party, with Jordan again making the wise decision of not engaging.
“Mike Tyson’s sitting there with his drink of choice, a Long Island Tea, and when he drinks his real feelings come out. I’m telling the server to water his drinks down ‘cause I see where this is going. Mike stares across the table at Michael Jordan. He says, ‘Hey man, you think I’m stupid? I know you f—-d with my b—h.’ Jordan looks like he just seen a ghost. ‘I know you messed with her,’ Mike says. ‘You can tell me.’
“Jordan, it’s obvious he just wants to get up and run. He wants no part of this… “It was a circus, for real, that night. Don King trying to change the subject. Me and John trying to hold Mike down. Mike telling everyone he’s going to bust Jordan’s a**. Jordan’s dressed sharp as always and he can’t get out of there fast enough.”
As great as Michael Jordan was, getting into it with the likes of Mike Tyson or Evander Holyfield would have only ended one way for him. He made the right business decision on both counts, there’s arguably nobody as astute as Jordan when it comes to these things.
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