the last book I ever read (Ringmaster: Vince McMahon and the Unmaking of America, excerpt twelve)

from Ringmaster: Vince McMahon and the Unmaking of America by Andrew Riesman:

Tyson had grown up as a huge fan of Vince Senior’s programming—he says he used to make WWWF championship belts out of canisters of Pillsbury dough strung around his waist as a child. He idolized Bruno Sammartino and Gorilla Monsoon and Billy Graham. As such, he was delighted to hear from Vince.

In the final days of Vince’s eventful year of 1997, the WWF closed a deal with Tyson for the boxer to appear at WrestleMania XIV in March. He would be paid roughly $3.5 million to do it.