"This piece was actually conceptualized in October 2015. The conversation started with a discussion about my fascination with the power, opulence and decadence of rock stars and how this lead to them to being my primary subject focus. We discussed how the term “rock star” became synonymous with excellence in any field and how the term “like a rock star” became a euphemism to express this.
We tried to think of another profession where an individual was given this type of power, where the decadence and controversy was almost celebrated. The only profession that came to mind was that of the heavy weight champion of the world. Not so much these days, but anyone over forty can attest that to be the heavy weight champion was to be the king of the world. Who ever held those belts, enjoyed the same and maybe even surpassed that of a rock star. Prior to the late nighties, the champ was pretty much a fifth Beatle.
Ali originally came to mind for this piece due to his brash, charismatic persona, however, I was much too young to really know Ali in his prime. Mike was an obvious choice as I was a huge fan. Mike is the living embodiment of my rock star analogy above, complete with the controversy, opulence and notoriety.
After settling on a Tyson piece, I ran the idea pass a close friend of mine who also happens to be a close personal friend of Mr. Tyson. He provided me with insight into Mike’s admiration and respect for Ali – it was then that I decided to embark on a joint tribute piece to both fighters.
Obviously after the passing of Mr. Ali, the direction of the piece changed but the title “We Were Kings” was never more pertinent and important." -Stickman
