-Deborah Akinyosoye
Nearly 40 years after his professional debut, and 19 years after retiring, 58-year-old Mike Tyson will return to the ring on Friday in a Netflix-backed bout that has stirred widespread condemnation in the boxing world.
Tyson, who dominated the heavyweight division in the late 1980s, will lace up the gloves once more to face YouTuber Jake Paul, 27, in an officially sanctioned fight at AT&T Stadium, home of the Dallas Cowboys, in Arlington, Texas.
The bout, set for eight two-minute rounds, was initially scheduled for July but was postponed in May when Tyson required medical treatment after vomiting blood on a flight from Miami to Los Angeles due to a bleeding ulcer.
The incident has fuelled criticism of Friday’s fight, with many condemning it as a macabre spectacle that poses undue risk for Tyson, who last appeared in a professional ring in 2005, ending in a technical knockout loss after quitting on his stool against Irish journeyman Kevin McBride.
It Shouldn’t Be Happening’
“Mike Tyson retired from boxing 20 years ago and was already worn out,” British promoter Eddie Hearn said this week.
“If anyone thinks Mike Tyson should be in a ring at this age, you either have absolutely no concern for him, or you’re being reckless. This shouldn’t be happening.”
Hearn’s fellow promoter, Frank Warren, echoed the sentiment.
“Mike Tyson is 58 years of age and he shouldn’t be fighting,” Warren said. “It’s as simple as that.”
Comparing the fight to a roadside accident, Warren added, “You’re on the motorway, and everyone’s slowing down just to look at a crash — that’s what this is.”
Tyson, reportedly earning around $20 million for the bout, has dismissed concerns for his wellbeing, claiming critics are motivated by jealousy.
“I’m beautiful, that’s all I can say,” he responded earlier this year. “Those who criticise wish they were in my place. No one else can do this.”
At an open workout in Texas this week, Tyson declared that his intense training camp had convinced him he was tougher than he’d realised.
“When I agreed to this fight, I thought, ‘What was I thinking?’ But I completed the process. The fight is the celebration. All the hard work is done.”
At Wednesday’s press conference in Texas, a focused Tyson avoided pre-fight hype, saying simply, “I’m just ready to fight.”
Injury Fears
A global audience on Netflix and thousands in AT&T Stadium will be watching on Friday to see if Tyson’s efforts pay off.
Paul, who was born six months before Tyson famously bit off a portion of Evander Holyfield’s ear in their 1997 rematch, first gained fame on YouTube before turning to boxing.
Since his first bout against a fellow YouTuber in 2018, Paul has fought various opponents, including a basketball player, MMA fighters, and other professional boxers. In 11 matches, he has won 10 (seven by knockout) and lost one.
“I feel really good, sharp, powerful, and explosive. It’s going to be a short night for Mike,” Paul said at Tuesday’s open workout, where he sported a rooster-shaped headdress.
It’s clear that a prime, 1980s Tyson would likely have disposed of Paul within minutes. But does Tyson still retain any trace of the power and skill that made him the youngest heavyweight champion in history in 1986, at age 20?
Veteran promoter Bob Arum, 92, is blunt.
“The answer is no,” Arum told SecondsOut.com last month.
“A 58-year-old man, no matter how good or athletic they were, can’t compete at that level anymore.”
“I hope Mike doesn’t get hurt, but I really give him almost no chance.”
AFP