By Ray Wheatley – World of Boxing
Promoter Eddie Hearn has commented on former world heavyweight champion Mike Tyson possibly making a comeback at age 53.
“I would like to see it,” Hearn told British Boxing TV. “But I kind of feel like, and I know people will say ‘Well, you did the YouTube fight with KSI,’ but is it a bit irresponsible to let a 53-year-old legend get back in the ring? I don’t know. He looks pretty dangerous, but I think it’s just the fascination of could he actually go in at 53 and do some damage in the division? Maybe, maybe not.
“There’s a fine line, and I’ve crossed it a couple of times, sort of with the integrity of the sport versus entertainment and delivering numbers. Our job is to deliver numbers for our broadcasters. But we have to try and keep it as close to the right mark as we possibly can. I don’t know, stranger things have happened, we’ll see.”
“Money. Fighters and legends are seeing other fighters make money for fights they think are insignificant. Tyson isn’t thinking about wanting to come back to add to my legacy. He’s thinking how much I can get, simple. The answer is quite a lot of money.”
Maybe the senior division like how tennis is doing with their senior tours with retired top players. A younger Tyson couldn’t hang with the mediocre heavyweights at the end of his career. An older grandpa wouldn’t be able to take the shots of the younger men, even if he can still punch hard.
Younger mike was a depressed drug addict.. if he has the spirit and the reflexes, he can do it
Stop it already. He won’t beat a top 20 heavyweight. He’ would get through one round of a actual fight, not hitting mitts for 10 seconds at a time but a actual fight and he’d be done. Enough, people are gonna get him hurt.
Saoul Mamby came back from a multi-year layoff to go 10 rounds with a much younger boxer at the age of 60, and Mamby had no power. Match Tyson with the right opponent, and why not?
You are correct. Cherry pick tomato can fighters with mediocre talent and Tyson looks like a rock star fighting again to a sheeple crowd. No offense to anyone, but the hype is more of a seller than Tyson himself. Think about it. All the rave is going all over about Tyson coming back right now. They are not focusing on Tyson himself, but the fact he may get back into the ring. Personally, it’s all a grain a salt to me. If Tyson was much younger and had all eight cylinders firing then it would be a interest for me. I am still getting over Jeff “delusional” Fenech thinking Tyson could fight Wilder.
McBride wasn’t cherry-picked 20 years ago? And Danny Williams? They are going to have to find some kind of tree. Sure they can find some bum for him to beat on but for the hype to continue towards some kind of big money event he’s going to have to beat someone with a pulse and that’s going to be really tough.
Totally forgot about this, but Larry Holmes came back at the age of 52 to outpoint Butterbean.
I remember that fight. In the later rounds, both of them were so winded and lethargic you could have taken a nap and not missed anything.
Body type. Tyson is an endomorph mostly white muscle fibers which are explosive but do not have mich endurance. He did train for endurance when he was young but now it is too hard to keep up. So maybe he can go 1 round full out but that’s it.
Tyson wasn’t that good in his hay day!!!
I apologize ahead of time for getting a little off topic here, but I’d like to hear some opinions on what Tyson’s best win was? His top 3 wins? He has a good resume, being undisputed Champ and all, but he never really beat any elite guys, outside of maybe a 37 year old Larry Holmes. Kind of difficult figuring out where he belongs among all time Heavyweight greats. #10-15 sounds about right to me based on the lack of quality wins. Curious what others here think…
Michael Spinks in 90 seconds, when people thought Spinks was unbeatable.
I’d go with..
1) Larry Holmes: Tyson was the only one to stop Holmes, and Holmes would go on to beat Mercer and lose a decision to Holyfield in a respectable showing 4 years after losing to Mike
2) Michael Spinks: Spinks’ only career loss. He was a monster at Light Heavyweight, but probably nothing special at Heavyweight. Still a good win for Mike. There was all kinds of hype for that fight
3) Tony Tucker: It was hard to come up with this one, but this is the fight the unified the three belts (not counting Spinks’ Linear Title). Tucker knocked out Douglas to win his belt, was 34-0 at the time, and was a pretty good fighter.
He was in the right place at the right time for sure with a genius in finkle running the show. His best win is Spinks, a blown up light heavy who barely outpointed a way past his prime Larry Holmes. I really don’t think anyone saw spinks as unbeatable. His 3 titles were won against mediocre competition at best for belt holders. He beat ruddock twice who really wasn’t that good a fighter. Starched by Lewis in 2 and then Morrison. All you have to do is look at boxrec and see that his resume is not that great. No where near a Holyfield or Lewis, both of whom outclassed him. You can give the argument that Tyson was past his prime but so were they. Tyson was a huge fave against Holyfield and a slight dog vs Lewis. He never avenged any of his losses like the real greats of the division. Great showman, excellent movement and power. But he was lacking somewhere. Like a Range Rover. Looks really good but unreliable.
I went to 17 Tyson fights live
His best wins as I saw it were:
1)Michael Spinks
2)Jesse Ferguson
3)Razor Ruddock 1
Tony tucker, michael spinks, tim Witherspoon and later razor ruddock who was ducked by holyfield.
Holyfield fought Tyson twice, Lewis twice, Bowe three times, moorer twice, quai twice, Mercer, foreman, Holmes, Dokes, and Douglas but he ducked ruddock who got absolutely starched by Lewis and Morrison? Come on that’s ridiculous. Holyfield was the ultimate warrior. Ruddock made his rep by going rounds with Tyson who was obviously overrated. Evander ducked no one. Ruddock didn’t deserve a shot at him.
Agree! Tyson was the most overrated heavyweight of All time. In his prime he didn’t beat any real heavyweight, except, as you pointed out, an old Larry Holmes. Sure he had talent and a punch. But Douglas, Holyfield and Lewis exposed him. His early fights were won against tomato cans and B class boxers who were already scared before entering the ring.
EVERY superstar fighter starts out padding the record with tomato cans and B class fighters!
I rank Hearn up there with Panama Lewis.
Hilarious post MAGA. Was just thinking that Hearn already hyping this thing is not exactly a good look for him.
Promoters: $$$ first…then your health tsk tsk tsk
Iron Mike Tyson vs Bronco Billy Wright
Fan boys be getting all sweaty now.
Luiz Ortiz is fighting at 78 so why not Tyson at 53
Tyson in 2!
Tyson would be wise not to get back in it unless doing exhibition rounds. He has been doing so well but fighting again, his demons could come back. With that being said, Tyson vs Briggs, “Lets go Champ!”