Mike Tyson heads towards his return to the ring after a four-year absence on the back of a bad knockout in his last professional fight.
In 2005, at 37, a shell of the old ‘Iron’ Mike Tyson was battered through six rounds by the unheralded Boston-based Irishman Kevin McBride. Discussions regarding the end of Tyson’s career and his comeback at 58 against Jake Paul have many YouTuber fans stating the 27-year-old is a far better boxer than McBride.
That’s a question of opinion, of course, but McBride was never considered anywhere near the top range of heavyweights during his heyday, similar to what Paul is now.
Therefore, anyone assuming Tyson cannot be hurt or taken out by a fighter 31 years younger than him when he’s approaching his sixties and with his past form will be sadly mistaken. The only saving face would be a pre-fight agreement between Tyson and Paul that won’t be released to the public.
Tyson was never the 1980s version when released from prison in the mid-1990s. He didn’t have the hunger any longer. Mike was at war with the world and wanted to get back some of the money he’d lost before walking away and leaving the sport with a bad taste in his mouth.
Thanks to McBride, Danny Williams, Lennox Lewis, and Evander Holyfield before him, that’s precisely what happened. Tyson was disillusioned with boxing and later admitted to being under the influence in those last two losses on his Undisputed Truth Tour.
The real rot began with Holyfield, though. That late stoppage in the first installment made everybody, especially the casual supporters, know this wasn’t the Tyson of old. The second fight was even more evident after Tyson got frustrated and let out his three-plus years in jail in one chomp of Holyfield’s ear.
A circus tour of six bouts in the next five years led Tyson to Lewis, who was far too accomplished and focused for “The Baddest Man on the Planet” to deal with. Tyson had no desire and was only there to pick up the tens of millions of dollars the Pay Per View would generate.
Clifford Etienne got dispatched between the Lewis and Williams defeats despite Tyson complaining of a ‘broken back’ leading the final road to McBride.
As with the Williams knockout, Tyson sat on his backside a dejected figure, wondering what he was doing in the ring when he had no business fighting. And to think he’s back after two decades and not facing someone anywhere near his own age is an unfathomable situation.
When returning in 2020 against Roy Jones Jr. [only two years his junior], the pair had a move-around and fought at their own pace. They clinched a lot and kept things manageable for ten rounds in what was merely a reminiscing exercise for the fans.
On the surface of this new event, Jake Paul has no intention of going easy on Mike and will aim to humiliate a former undisputed heavyweight champion. In Paul’s mind, knocking out a fighter with Tyson’s reputation will be another step toward becoming a world champion.
Anyone with an above-average knowledge of boxing knows that will never happen for Paul, But in his world, it’s the end goal of his years of dedication to the sport. The one thing he can do is hurt Tyson if he goes at it full pelt. Tyson no longer has any punch resistance and will be sticking duck the longer the fight goes on.
Tyson will need to land one of his trademark hooks early to avoid what could be another embarrassing defeat for a bonafide boxing legend.
Read all articles and learn more about the author, experienced boxing writer, and World Boxing News Editor Phil Jay.
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