By Ray Wheatley – World of Boxing
Former world heavyweight champion Mike Tyson has hinted that he may be participating in exhibition bouts after reported offers of $1 million from Australian promoter Brian Amatruda and $20 million from the Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship.
“It may not be over yet. Anything’s possible,” Tyson said on a #PlayApartTogether live stream on Facebook. “I feel unstoppable now. I feel like I’m in that streak (during his prime) again. The gods of war have reawakened me, ignited my ego and want me to go to war again.
“Imagine if I went out there and fought and I could help all these people we’re talking about, all these animals we’re talking about. That’s what it’s about brother.”
Tyson, 53, said all he’s been doing during the coronavirus lockdown is working out and getting into shape.
“I’m as healthy as I’ve been at any time in my life,” said Iron Mike. “I just work out every day. I live life like I’ve been living before this situation.”
I am unstoppable too. When I have not ate all day and a fresh pizza is in front of me.
All jokes aside, looking thru all the BS here, I guarantee you if Tyson fights again they will cherry pick an opponent he will look good against. Why? Because his name is Mike Tyson and sheeple need to buy tickets/PPV to see it. It’s all about money!
Isn’t that what happens in most fights …..
Technically, Alan, you are right!
yep just like Floyd did with Mcbigmouth
I doubt anyone expecting Mike to come back and compete for the title just yet. He mentioned its for charity. This 53 year old willing to get in shape and lace them up is more ambition then prob everyone here combined.
I think the build up to this is a bigger hit than the reality of it. Yes, props to Tyson hitting a spark in his life wanting to get back in shape.
Is Peter McNealy available for a rematch?
No but Danny Williams is time to avenge that loss Mike.
Of course they will cherry pick the man is 53 Years old about 20 years past his prime. No one is foolish enough to think he is going to make a run at it. Nostalgia like watching your favorite band from your youth in the 80’s yes people will buy.
You may want to ask Jeff Fenech. He claims Tyson can fight Wilder! Check prior article published on this website.
You would be surprised then because a few people actually believe he can make a run or even win a title. I’m not one of them. Has long has he sticks to 3 round exhibitions.
The WBC will create a 50s and over championship belt just for Mike
Love it! Great comical comment!
Shit 30 years past his prime more like it
Actually, for Mike it’s 30+ years past his prime.
His prime was actually over 30 years ago. After Buster Douglas beat him, he was never the same.
20 years past his prime? It’s actually 32…
He’s an old man now, in terms of boxing anyway. That picture they have above, he looks like Grady from Sanford and Son with a shaved head. They will have to be VERY careful with who they match him with…maybe the type of opponents Butterbean was fighting. He will lose to anyone with a pulse. I wonder what he is really hoping to get out of this.
lets not forget that a large percentage of boxing is mental. Tyson lost his edge there at the end of his first run, he just quit on his last couple fights. If he is back in good mental form i think he could beat most of the fighters today with the exception of maybe Fury.
Exactly! That are talking about Mike like he was an average fighter. Mike was a beast when his eye was on the prize and then the wrong people started to influence his life. He one said that he no longer had the hunger and that is why he stopped. All of that is evident in his last few fights. He was man enough to admit then, so I sure as hell believe him now. And now he has “Old Man Strength” added to was was already a freight train punch. Not to mention he was the best bobber/weaver in the game.
Like they tuned in to watch Mayweather cherry pick opponents or wait till they were old? Sure it’s a money game and nothing more.
Im sure there will be big interest in iron mike Tyson in his prime he was awesome to watch and frightening to fight ….. good for him that he still wants to fight he has a good chance against most of today’s so called h/ws
Fanboys start your engines.
Great point!
I like the person MT has become but am sceptical at how a chilled , pot smoking human being reverts to fighting animal mode. Exhibition stuff , great , but not sure I like the idea of him properly fighting again
Weed, especially sativa strains, can be a stimulant and help with endurance; I was tuned into the benefits years ago as a runner. The “chilled out” part tends to come from a little more introspection and being a little less egocentric. I’m guessing he could flip the fight switch without becoming a monster in the rest of his behavior.
I often pondered in Tyson’s early career the way he acted if lithium or Depakote would have been a good mood stabilizer for him. I often wondered if he was bipolar back in the hey day with all the erratic stories one would hear about him.
As a bipolar guy, I can say yeah Mike Tyson suffered from various mental issues in his day. Probably still does, although he seems much more focused now. He did take meds at one point, I think it was lithium. He said they affected his sexual performance and I believe he went off of them as a result.
Ask the Diaz brothers they’ve been blazing and fighting for years and they’re fast and scrap hard
I would assume it would be similar to a homeless kid becoming the youngest heavyweight champion of all time. He has to want it and have the proper people there to guide him.
Go back to Kevin Rooney!
It looks like he needs the money so badly that he is starting to sell it. Is he doing roadwork? I wonder.
No other boxer in the history of the sport has been able to garner so much interest and attention in his fights as Tsyon. All this interest is based on how he fought in the 80’s! If he does in fact have an actual fight, I admit, I will be one of the sheeple who will be very excited to watch it! I see him blasting out some happless journeyman in his first fight back, then getting ko’d by a slightly better happless journeyman in his next outing. The fight going something like his fight with Danny Williams; Tyson coming out guns blazzing, doing some serious damage in the first 2 rounds, the guy withstands the assault, then comes back to finnish Tyson off in the 3rd or 4th round, probably the 3rd. I could picture that scenario clear as day!
Love your quote “one of the sheeple who will be excited to watch it”…I admire your honesty, excitement, and thrill to watch a Tyson fight should it develop. I will admit that the 1980’s heavyweight division was all about Tyson. That boy could crack!
Live laugh love. If you feel like boxing. ( BOX ) You only have one life, so live it to the fullest.
It’s nice to see some publicity for boxing, but Tyson will not or cannot be what he once was, even at his worst. I really hope he only has 3 round exhibitions against tailor made opponent paid to let him look good.
If you look at Tyson’s physical profile now, especially his shoulders, he has much less muscle mass than 15 years ago. It wouldn’t surprise me that when fit he’d weigh under 200 pounds. That muscle mass cannot return to a person in their 50s without chemical help. The speed is there, the technique is there, but I believe it’s impossible for the same power to be there. That being said, a lot of his power came from his speed and great technique, so who knows.
Seeing him walk into the ring again would bring back some of the best boxing memories I’ve ever had so I can’t wait to see it.
If he really wanted to get the belt and not just money if he got down under 200 he might have a chance at light heavy
…during 37 sec…
I have no idea how Mike Tyson’s (MT) financial affairs are nowadays, but he really should stay out of active boxing. I fear performing exhibition fights will give MT a false sense of confidence in his ability to reenter an active, fully licensed boxing career – which will lead to his tragic demise as a 50+ year old boxer. MT should just stay away from this potential gateway drug called exhibition boxing.
I’d like to believe mike has a great sense of where he’s actually at these days and is just stirring us all up with excitement so he can make a few bucks as well as support some charitable endeavours. I’d love to see him participating in some high profile exhibitions and why not! We just saw Chavez and Arce have a high profile competition, imagine how fun it’d be to see Iron Mike back again for a few of those!
I don’t think so, Iron Mike … Sure, against tomatoe cans and hand picked opponents you WILL do fine, but step in the ring with someone who will hit you back, you’ll end up on the seat of your pants and watch out, you’re return may bring back into the ring Buster Douglas, Holyfield OR Lennox Lewis who has your numba… BUT, if I were you, I’d head back and kick some ass and mayb get KO’d again but at least, get some some money back into your bank account.. remember, you lost a ton of money since you retired…. I, for one, would like to see you and Holyfield go at it again, even though both you and I know that he’d beat you again …. GO FOR IT MIKE !!!
I’d love to see a Lewis rematch!
Lewis said he’d return last year for $100 million, no less. But he was referring more to a fight with one of the belt holders.
He’s dreaming
Lets have Tyson fight, Taishan Dong an unbeaten 6-0, 7 foot tall Chinese Heavyweight in an exhibition for 3 rds. Just for the sheer spectacle that would be worth seeing. Dong is not that good at 6-0 against extremely limited opposition and has not boxed in 5 years.
I like the idea; addidng even more of a freak show element to the charade! Like I wrote before, there’s no way in hell I would not watch this fight!
*adding
Any kod Chinese guy is good for everybody too these days
Oh man this is sad…
The only thing that could make this more ridiculous is if he makes a public plea for Teddy Atlas to train him.
Well try some honesty Tyson. You’re certainly not unstoppable. Douglas, Holyfield, Lewis, Williams, McBride showed that. They exsposed you. You are the most overrated heavyweight of All time. Talent and a punch, yes. But way to small for heavyweight.
James Harbo-I know a gentleman never asks, but how old are you? My guess is that you’re under 35 and never saw Tyson box in his prime, 1986-1991. I think if you did, you definitely wouldnt be saying he was overrated or too small. Yes, he was much shorter than everybody he fought, but he lit them all up like it was nothing! He fought some big boys too – Jose Ribalta,Tony Tucker, BoneCrusher Smith, Tyrell Biggs, Frank Bruno, just to name a few. During that period, he dominated like nobody else ever had.
Not that it matter Kris, but I’m 44 and I’ve been in boxing since I was 15. But listen champ. I’m not knocking Tyson. He had a lot of talent and punch. But come on man. His resumé was build on B class boxers who were already scared before the fight started. Plus the guy was (by his own admission) high on coke in some of his fights. But when the going got tuff and he met real fighters who were not affraid, he crumbled. He did not have the heart of a real fighter. Just like Teddy Atlas says and he should know. But again, don’t get me wrong. The guy was good and he had a punch. But was def not great!
I ask because I always hear people who are now in their 30’s talk about Mike Tyson. Their perception of him is he was just an overated maniac who bit Holyfields ear, which they’re right, but there’s so much more to him. As you say, the fact that opponents were scared of him before the fight started was testimony to how awesome he was. He anhilated opponents like no other, and he had a solid set of skills he could resort to. I watched Mike Tyson as an amateur and really didn’t think he was anything special, so I was surprised at all the noise he started making right when he turned pro. I will agree on your point that he would crumble when things got tough. That became very evident after he came back in 1995, when he was not nearly as focused.
It’s no excuse, but Tyson barely trained for the Douglas fight, and had already dismissed his trainer Kevin Rooney several fights before. I love Lennox, but the rest of those guys Tyson fought after a nearly four year layoff. By the time he got to McBride it was more about paying off his debts than any real love for boxing.
Lads calm down. The man has made it quite clear. He is feeling good. Fair play to him. He has in no way, shape or form mentioned competitive boxing. If he wants to get in shape, take part in an exhibition for charity then fair play to him. I wish him the best of health.
The Gods of War may have reawakened Mike, as he says, but one of the young, hungry fighters of today will likely help Tyson go back to sleep. Exhibitions, yes; actual fights against real competition, no.
He would walk thru Wilder in 3 rounds. Fact. Street fight bare knuckle any of those sleaze bags, fact. Wilders only chance is to go all out, because he can’t be backing up.
I’m all for Tyson stepping back into the ring to have a few charity exhibition bouts. Opponents could be Ray Mercer, Riddick Bowe, George Foreman, Evander Holyfield, David Tua, Joe Messi, Lennox Lewis, Oliver McCall, Butterbean, Shannon Briggs, Larry Holmes, Michael Moorer. Hell, even Mike Tyson vs. Ike Ibeabuchi would be awesome to see!!
But I’m not for seeing Tyson have an actual bout. He might look good, but I don’t think he should risk permanent injury by stepping in at age 53. But if he does come back for one fight, he should pick some novice fighter who isn’t a threat, get one quick 1st round knockout and a decent payday, and that’s it.
Tyson vs Ibeabuchi, now that would be interesting! Well, prolly not really. Two of boxings most unstable personalities going at it, subdued by middle age. Don’t get me wrong, I’d definitely pay to see it, but you’re setting yourself up for dissapointment if you’e expecting to see any fireworks in the ring!
Mike, don’t do it man! Mike, don’t do it…………..mike, don’t. You were but, you’re not anymore man! Mike, don’t do it!
I was a huge Tyson fan growing and I am still a fan but the idea Tyson could be competitive even against middle of pack heavyweights is foolhardy. Yes the video looked great but Tyson has probably done that same routine a million times during his life and will probably be able to do that drill at age 70. But don’t be fooled by the footage.
If they offer Tyson a 20 million dollar payday for a bare knuckle bout, he should consider it. The bouts are five 2 minute rds. I will bet Tyson can still unload for 2 minutes and the last thing to go is your punching power. I know I would buy it…lol
And he has a huge psychological advantage over anybody once the cage closes. Mike would not even have to hit the head in bare knuckle to crush a man’s soul. #MitchGreen
I really love Mike now, compared to Evander phony deal Holyfield, It wasn’t that way some 25 years ago. But, Mike, remember what you once said, everybody had a plan until they get punched in the head. or something like that.
He is PROBABLY too old to be serious about high level opponents but IF he is truly motivated for the first time in his life since the early days then who knows what he is since for a lot of his career he was abusing drugs, missing training sessions, etc. He has more unknowns about him than most people. For most people at that age you would just say no chance he could fight high level but him-who knows.
The clip I saw was about 5 seconds long. Seems to me Tyson only ever turned up the intensity for short spurts after a few rounds went by. It’s hard to imagine him being effective even if he made the transition in style that Foreman did (who’s second career I think began at age 37).
whats going to happen is all hype he may get back in the ring for a ridiculous amount of money and then retire again its a joke, in his day he was great stayed retired and not make a fool of yourself
Stop falling for this guys publicity stunts. Mike Tyson is a career hustler and that’s all he is doing here to get some dolla$$, him insinuating money for charities is a joke on everyone. Just be honest it’s just a cash grab and he will get his butt beat but he don’t give a crap cause it’s just about the dolla$$.
All these haters!!! You think any of you will look this dangerous at 53 or even at 21??? He turned his life around and he is doing this for CHARITY for Christ sake!!!Any of these haters think about doing things for others?? Ever in your miserable Life? Man looks dangerous! Man looks happy! Good for him!!!Any of you haters sitting your fat asses on the couch ever do anything you were truly proud of? Yea! I didn’t think so!
If Tyson is dabbling in black magic to get back in shape I think we should start a petition to have the fight banned. Rumours are circulating. I’m nervous. WBC IBF and WKBF need to have a hard look. Someone could get hurt physically and spiritually.
A pure mindset is the most destructive weapon of all.A super fit 53yr old Mike Tyson with a pure mindset would still do some damage!