Mike Tyson has speed, power of someone 21, 22? C’mon

The trainer holding the mitts in a viral video of Mike Tyson said Iron Mike has the speed and power of a man 21 or 22 years old.

This Mike Tyson thing is officially out of control.

A viral video of Tyson hitting the mitts prompted some to suggest the 53-year-old former heavyweight champ could take over the division today even though he looked horrible against journeymen in his last few fights 15 years ago.

Now, the trainer holding the mitts in the video, Rafael Cordeiro, threw gas on the fire by telling ESPN that Iron Mike has the boxing tools of a much younger man.

“I didn’t know what to expect,” Cordeiro said Monday. “He hasn’t hit mitts for almost 10 years. So I didn’t expect to see what I saw. I saw a guy with the same speed, same power as guys 21, 22 years old.”

Tyson had said recently that he is on a health kick and feels better than he has in years.

Evidently, boxing workouts are part of his regimen. Cordeiro said he has been working with Tyson for three weeks in sessions that range from 60 to 90 minutes. Tyson also has been working with a conditioning coach.

His fitness level evidently led him to suggest he might take part in exhibitions for charities. Cordeiro went a step further, suggesting Tyson could return to competitive boxing with six months of training.

“It’s not a joke,” Cordeiro said.

If Tyson were to return, the joke – a bad joke – would be on him. It’s one thing to hit mitts in the gym. It’s another to have a big, young heavyweight with perfect reflexes firing powerful shots back at you.

And, of course, Tyson knows that. The guess here is that he might do a few exhibitions to help others and that’s it. At least I hope so.