By Ray Wheatley – World of Boxing
Hall of Famer Jeff Fenech is confident that former world heavyweight champion Mike Tyson will come to Australia for exhibition bouts. Fenech told the Wide World of Sports, “It’s exciting. I know he’s not going to fight for the world title again. But listen, while I would never let one of my friends get hurt, I would let him fight Deontay Wilder. Give me three months training with him. I’d have no problem at all with Mike fighting.
“But he doesn’t really want to fight now, he’s just going to do some exhibitions. He’s really making some great money for charity, him and his foundation.
“But watching him on the pads the other day, wow, pretty awesome. To see him at 53, doing what he did the other day is pretty amazing. He said to me, ‘Jeff, I’ve only trained for three days and I feel great again.’
“If he trains properly and everything goes right, I think he’ll look sensational. He’s excited and when he’s excited, I know he works hard. It’s not about making a comeback, it’s about a couple of exhibitions.”
Fenech should fight Wilder himself. DW would cripple MT at this point.
Alexander, wilder has a glass jaw and tyson has nasty power… Even aged…
Jeff Fenech is delusional. This is a much older Mike Tyson who cannot be as good as even the Mike Tyson who lost to Kevin McBride, for God’s sake. Give Jeff Fenech three-months to train Mike, and then I’ll give Mike less than a round until he’s seriously hurt by Deontay Wilder.
Do ya get the feeling smaller Fenech is hiding behind his bigger buddy Tyson on the playground so he can talk smack about Wilder? Fenech is the smallest boy on the playground (of the three) so he has to feed his ego somehow thru delusional knowledge.
Curious why the thumbs down for Dan Adam’s comment? Sounds pretty spot-on to me. Mike gets stopped by Kevin McBride 15 years ago, hasn’t fought since, is 53 years old now, and Fenech is wondering how a Tyson-Wilder fight might unfold? Seriously, that dude must have a ton of time on his hands these days.
Seriously, out of curiosity, why so many thumbs down on that comment? It’s totally accurate, not coming off like a know it all a-hole like some people do. It’s a valid opinion that shouldn’t offend anyone, except maybe Fenech and Tyson.
He’s probably better than he was against McBrids he’s had time to heal. His knee was jacked up bad since the Danny Williams fight . It’s probably ok now.
Sean, there’s this process called aging that affects all human beings. Simple terms, it means the longer we live, the more we wear out. Tyson at 53 will not be better than Tyson at 38, it’s physiologically impossible. If you want to see what he’d look like now watch Chuck Liddell’s third fight with Tito last year.
People see a clip of Tyson on the pads, doing something he’s done since he was a kid and all thru his career including at the end of his career and they are impressed like he could clean up the division or something. Come on. He was able to do that pad work when he fought Danny Williams and Kevin McBride. Anyone in the top 30 would easily beat Mike. That’s the truth.
Pads don’t punch back.
Seriously, you think Parker could beat him.
Jeff Fenech talks a lot of smack in his aging years since being a world champion back in the hey day. In 2007, I recall Fenech being more in the spotlight by the media as a thief than a fighter by stealing two jewelry watches, pleading guilty to the crime, and paying fines. Sad, but true. My point? Fenech is by no means perfect and it cracks me up he puffs his ego up thru verbal match making that has no point in reality. Yes, Wilder got beat by Fury and we all know it. One defeat on the record and Fenech seems to have solved the riddle to Wilder’s whole boxing career. LOL…… Yeah, ok (snicker). Fenech’s record as a fighter was blemished by the means of a few fighters that pop into my mind; Holiday, Grove, and Nelson. Since Jeff is old stale news as a fighter, nobody in the media will call him out on his losses. Sorry, but true…
Deontay Wilder has faced maby the weakest competition of any heavyweight champion ever. 53yo Mike Tyson wouldn’t even be the weakest 😀
Jeff Fenech was Tyson’s trainer when he fought Kevin McBride.
If Fenech wants to prove he’s a great trainer, then he should reach out to Wilder and not a 53 year old man. I know people don’t like Wilder, but man there’s a lot to work with. We’ve seen him use his jab at times and while some disparage his power it’s still more than most. I know it’s said, you can’t teach an old dog new tricks, but if the old dog is willing you can tweak a few things.
Note: I’m glad Mike Tyson seems to be at peace, but I worry that an exhibition fight might lead to the real thing. I’m hoping he doesn’t go through with it.
Btw, now Holyfield is talking about it too. Same note for him.
just let him do his exhibitions,for a good cause and stop trying getting him hurt
Is all this Tyson comeback fight for real, or is this just bored pandemic talk? Jeff Fenech of all people, knows first hand what Tyson is all about and capable of at this point. I’m pretty certain Wilder would squash Tyson like a fly in under a minute. If Tyson wants to do some exhibition bouts against lord knows who, that’s cool, but that’s where this comeback ends. He was bouncing around Corey Sanders in exhibiton bouts back in 2006, 2007, so it wouldn’t be the first time he’s done and exhibition circuit. There’s even talk of Evander Holyfield coming back now; I could even see Tyson-Holyfiled 3 happening as ridiculous as that may sound, but if Tyson were to face a young, legitimate heavyweight today, he would take one solid crack from the guy and remember why he walked away from the sport 15 years ago.
20 secs of pad-work and people talking crazy. This is nothing more than kicking a man when he’s down. DW is surely the most hated boxer.
How ridiculous can you get! JF always had this affinity for MT but get real mate. Maybe a bit of lockdown fever taking hold.
Contract stipulates that Wilder must wear a 90 pound suit of armor and walk from the hotel to the ring
Mike if you want to fight some exibitions, fine, but please at your age do not fight a comeback, you were a great fighter ,don’t tarnish your record
Remember a few months back 55 year old Nigel Benn thought he was coming back too! He was fit as a fiddle and he was looking awesome on the mitts, just like Tyson! His comeback ambitions ended when he injured his shoulder in training and realized boxing wasn’t meant for guys in their 50’s!
Ruddock made a similar comeback years ago. He was 51 I believe when he fought some big, really slow white guy, and Ruddock spent most of the 3rd round making snow angels on the canvas that night. Hopefully Tyson isn’t actually considering this, because it seems that it doesn’t take much to get licensed. There are probably many in the sport who would rather make money off Tyson then stepping in to save him from himself.
Your post cracked me up!!
I think Fenech is truly punch drunk. Although one shot from Tyson even at 54 could topple Wilder no doubt but I hope it doesn’t happen not even discussed.
I don’t focus on those fights where Mike MENTALLY gave up…it had nothing to do with skill…he depended on his power which had diminished a bit…I dont think he should comeback at this point but a focused Mike is a bad man…even at 53
Tyson mentally gave up when he couldn’t dominate physically. Tyson was many great things in the ring, but a warrior he was not. When things got tough in the ring for Tyson, he would look for a way out. He wasn’t the type to peel himself up from the canvas and score a dramatic come from behind KO. Once Tyson got rocked hard and realized he was in a dog fight, it was curtains! Especially in the latter part of his career.
You’re right because that is what the videos show, but you have idolatrous people, who can’t discern.
Saw tyson v sanders exhibition 14 years ago. It’s hard to turn shit into fine wine.
Maybe he’s just trying to promote the exhibition stuff. I hope Tyson doesn’t get lured into coming back.
With the testing, he would never be granted a license
I love Jeff, hero of mine as a kid. Awesome fighter, hard as nails. Shocking as a trainer – look at when he trained MT against Mcbride.
Look at MT’s last two fights and tell me all about how he’ll smash the young un’s – fact is a lot of Australian promoters and fighters are using Tyson’s name without reason. He should be charging em rent. Support Aussie boxing not this kind of bullspit
Lots of examples of old fighters looking good in training , only to be out-classed in an actual bout. Tyson probably could compete with a “B” or “C” boxer now but would be overwhelmed by by someone like Wilder.
WILDER WOULD KO HIM IN LESS THAN 1 MIN
This goes to show how people actually [ devalue ] the difference between hitting the mitts for several rounds and actually competing professional rounds.
Then you have the disregard for human health for a trainer [ Fenech ] to merely have ‘something’ to do. Even exhibitions at this point, is unhealthy.
©️ Coach Hilario 2020
Boxing is dead MMA is King. I want to see Tyson finish his unfinished biz in Australia and fight Danny Green in the. MCG in a cage. The winner fights the winner of Gallen Hall part two. Sonny Bill then fights Blake Ferguson and the winner of that fights the winner of Mundine V Gorkan Oscan.
Woyld also be nice to make a Come back on one of your Tournament J. FENECH
Lest we forget, Wilder was damaged not just physically but more importantly psychologically in the last fight; to what extent… We have yet to find out. However, it was enough to drop off social media and blame everything but himself for losing.