McBride promised a battering by Tyson

Mike Tyson reverted to type as he stepped up the war of words in the build-up to his heavyweight clash with Irishman Kevin McBride in Washington.

With only two days to go before the fight, the 38-year-old former world champion said: "I'm going to gut him like a fish. He's a tomato can. This is going to be a first-class education in humility."

Tyson will be having his first bout since a fourth-round defeat by Britain's Danny Williams in July last year. More than 13,000 tickets have been sold for the fight.

"People may call this a circus but I'm an icon," said Tyson. "I'm a superstar. If they don't know my name they're from another planet."