Tag: Mike Tyson fight

Mike Tyson’s first exhibition opponent won’t be Evander Holyfield

Mike Tyson said he won’t be facing old rival Evander Holyfield in his first exhibition for charity.

Mike Tyson evidently won’t face old rival Evander Holyfield when he returns to boxing in an exhibition. And he made it clear he isn’t doing it for his own gain.

Tyson, 53, has garnered worldwide attention with viral videos of working out and his stated intention of boxing again. Holyfield, 57, soon followed suit, generating speculation that the two might meet a third time.

Tyson told Lil Wayne on his “Young Money Radio” show that he’ll be facing someone else, although he didn’t say who.

“Nah, nah, we got many guys,” Tyson said, dismissing Holyfield as a potential first opponent. “Listen, we’ve got so many guys that want to do this man. We’re in calls, we’re doing business with guys right now. You’re not going to believe the names when the names come out. Some time this week we’ll have the contract done.

“And whatever money we get, it’s going to somebody else. I’m not going to make any money … probably the company, my wife, because she’s partners with me, she’ll make some probably. But my money is going [to charity].”

He went on: “I’m feeling better than I’ve ever felt in my life. God has been merciful to me, man. I’m gonna get on with it, I’m looking good. Yo, Wayne, I’m 230 [pounds] right now! Man I’m just getting ready you know, I’m just getting ready to help some people out who are less fortunate than me. I’m gonna do this charity event.

“I’m going to take this money and help these homeless, and we’re going to help these addicted brothers. Because I’ve been homeless and I’ve been addicted so I know the struggle. Not many people have survived like I did.”

Mike Tyson on bout with Evander Holyfield: ‘Awesome for charity’

Former heavyweight champ Mike Tyson apparently likes the idea of facing rival Evander Holyfield a third time even though they are 53 and 57.

Former heavyweight champ Mike Tyson apparently likes the idea of facing rival Evander Holyfield a third time even though they are 53 and 57, respectively.

And Iron Mike might’ve quashed any notion that they will engage in an actual fight. Tyson hasn’t fought since 2005, Holyfield since 2011.

“That would be awesome for charity,” Tyson said on TMZ Live. “… Can you imagine me and [Holyfield] going in the ring together? … Hey listen, there are a lot of people out there that need help, and something like that could help a lot of people that are in need of help.”

Tyson has repeatedly teased about a comeback in viral videos of him training, which bring back memories of one of the most feared fighters ever. Holyfield, a former two-division titleholder, followed suit with his own video workouts, in which he made it clear he wasn’t finished either.

And Holyfield said specifically that he would be open to facing Tyson in a controlled environment.

“I would do that!” Holyfield told The Sun. “Yes, I want to fight Mike Tyson. My whole thing is I’m open, and I know that I want to do well for myself at age 57. I can definitely handle him. But Mike would have to want to do it as well.

“We have to come up with something that is not a knockout grudge match. It’s not about who can beat who but to show people we were some of the greatest fighters in our era and we’ve come together as men to do something for others.”

So now we wait to see how this unfolds.

WBC President: If Mike Tyson wants to be ranked, ‘we will rank him’

WBC President Mauricio Sulaiman acknowledged safety concerns but says he’d rank Mike Tyson if that’s what Iron Mike wants.

WBC President Mauricio Sulaiman spoke animatedly about Mike Tyson to an outlet called Stats Perform when he said something curious.

Sulaiman said he would place Tyson in his heavyweight rankings if that’s what Iron Mike wants. Tyson, 53 but feeling good, has announced that he plans to take part in exhibitions to benefit charity but many wonder whether he’ll return to competitive boxing.

Ranking? At 53 years old? After 15 years out of the ring?

“I’m not going to kill the dream,” Sulaiman said. “I’m going to be very supportive of Mike Tyson. He deserves it. If the dream is to say, ‘I will be ranked,’ I am saying yes, we will rank him.”

Now we must be fair. Perhaps Sulaiman got carried away with his enthusiasm for a boxing legend. And he did qualify his statement.

Here is the comment in context:

“He could knock out anyone with one punch, at any time! So of course we will support him. I don’t like to speculate. This is a topic we are all entertained by. An exhibition is one thing; if he comes back, he has to be licensed and has to go through a thorough process.

“I’m not going to kill the dream. I’m going to be very supportive of Mike Tyson, he deserves it. If the dream is to say ‘I will be ranked,’ I am saying yes, we will rank him. Every world champion has a provision that he can come back, like Sugar Ray [Leonard], who was inactive.

“But Tyson’s case is different, he’s been away many years. But I am in full support of Mike Tyson. I believe this will bring entertainment, and he’s doing it for charity. He wants to serve the world in this difficult moment.”

Sulaiman went on: “We need to first understand what it is. I think it’s an exhibition. The safety has to be top priority. It is great to see athletes promoting the sport. Mike Tyson had a very complicated life in boxing.

“Now to see him losing weight, active, healthy, is great, and we have to support him. But we have to see if it is a real fight. I am hearing that it’s an exhibition, and we are fully behind him.”

And, finally: “Don’t watch it, if you don’t like it. I love to see NFL players do reunions, I love to see legends doing something. Why not allow them to do something for charity?

“The only thing we have to be careful about is their safety. Why would we block it otherwise? We offer him our full support.”

So Sulaiman did underscore the importance of safety. He acknowledged Tyson’s time away from boxing. And, of course, if a 53-year-old can demonstrate that he’s perfectly healthy and can compete with younger fighters, it’s difficult to keep him out of the ring.

Evander Holyfield, who also has mentioned a comeback and could face Tyson, fought competitively until 48. And Larry Holmes was still active in his early 50s.

Still, Sulaiman might’ve been wise to take this a step at a time rather than prove his loyalty to Tyson by gushing about him. If Tyson takes part in exhibitions only, then there is no reason to talk about ranking.

And if Tyson decides to take his comeback to the next level, Sulaiman had better be careful how he responds. To rank a fighter because of his name, not necessarily his ability, is a horrible look. And, God forbid, Tyson or another geezer gets seriously hurt in the ring in a huge event.

This is serious stuff. One should be careful about what one says.

Evander Holyfield: ‘Yes, I want to fight Mike Tyson’

Evander Holyfield likes the sound of a third fight with Mike Tyson, although the word “fight” shouldn’t be taken too literally.

Evander Holyfield likes the sound of a third fight with Mike Tyson, although the word “fight” shouldn’t be taken too literally.

Holyfield, 57, and Tyson, 53, have talked about returning to the ring in exhibitions for charity. And what better match up to attract attention than Holyfield vs. Tyson III?

However, Holyfield made it clear that the former rivals – who have become friendly – wouldn’t be out for blood.

“I would do that!” Holyfield told The Sun. “Yes, I want to fight Mike Tyson. My whole thing is I’m open, and I know that I want to do well for myself at age 57. I can definitely handle him. But Mike would have to want to do it as well.

“We have to come up with something that is not a knockout grudge match. It’s not about who can beat who but to show people we were some of the greatest fighters in our era and we’ve come together as men to do something for others.

“I don’t have anything against Mike personally. The thing is I think it would be good for the sport. And even though boxing is a rough sport, we can show people we can come together. If we do this fight, it would be great.

“I can still shoot the jab, I can still shoot the shots, but not like a killing thing, [not like] ‘I’m going to hurt you, I’m going to show you that I can knock him out.’ Mike is looking sharp, but I’m in very good condition and shape physically and mentally. And if the money is right, too, then let’s get it on.

“I know he’s getting offers from all types of people. Since we have both announced a comeback, a fight between me and Mike would definitely be the fight people want to see.”

Holyfield, as much as a 25-1 underdog, stunned the boxing world by knocking out Tyson in 11 rounds on Nov. 9, 1996. In the rematch, the following June 28, Tyson was disqualified in the third round after biting Holyfield’s ear.

Holyfield has since forgiven Tyson.

Mike Tyson’s return to boxing is what America needs

If Mike Tyson is really back, then could America be far behind? OK, excuse the excitement. The former heavyweight champion boxer isn’t going to cure COVID-19 or help flatten the curve. But he does look capable of flattening an opponent, even at the …

If Mike Tyson is really back, then could America be far behind?

OK, excuse the excitement.

The former heavyweight champion boxer isn’t going to cure COVID-19 or help flatten the curve. But he does look capable of flattening an opponent, even at the age of 53.

On Monday, Tyson released on his Instagram account video of a recent boxing workout. In less than 24 hours, the video had more than 6.5 million views.

Can you imagine the eyeballs Tyson would draw if he actually got into the ring?

There is lots of gray in that beard of his, and lots of pop in those punches. On the video, he looked as ferocious as the old “Iron Mike,’’ pounding boxing mitts with speed and power. He looked hungry, too. Hungry enough to munch on someone’s ear, in fact.

Speaking of ears, Evander Holyfield, 57, has said he’d be interested in stepping into the ring with Tyson for an exhibition match. Of course the last time they fought, in 1997, Tyson bit off a piece of Holyfield’s ear and was disqualified.

You think this is a publicity stunt? Not me. Unlike Floyd Mayweather, Tyson hasn’t continually teased us about the possibility of coming out of retirement. His intentions seem as real as his power seemed raw during the video.

On Tyson’s Instagram page, rapper 50 Cent wrote, “Mike look like he can win another title.’’

The idea is not outrageous. At 46, George Foreman won a heavyweight title in 1994 when he knocked out Michael Moorer, then 26. and Bernard Hopkins won a light heavyweight championship at 48 when in 2013 he scored a unanimous decision over Tavoris Cloud, then 31.

But this time, Tyson has suggested, he would be fighting not for a championship belt, but for a good cause — and that good cause is us.

No basketball. No football. No baseball. It’s a brutally barren landscape for sports fans.

But UFC’s event Saturday in Jacksonville, Florida showed it may be possible to safely stage combat sports during the pandemic. So if mixed martial arts fighters can mix it up in an Octagon, why not Mike Tyson and Holyfield?

Sure, Tyson hasn’t been in the ring since 2005, when he failed to answer the bell for the seventh round against Kevin McBride. But now Tyson appears ready to answer the bell for us, based on the seductive words he uttered at the end of the video he released.

“I’m back,’’ Tyson said.