Jake Paul has managed to bring a boxing legend out of retirement in the form of Mike Tyson. In the early hours of Friday, November 15 to Saturday, November 16 at the AT&T Stadium in Texas, combat sports history will be made. ‘Iron Mike’ will step into the ring once again to try to stop the hype train of the former YouTuber, who is a mass phenomenon. Although Tyson had an exhibition fight in 2020 against Roy Jones Jr., on this occasion there will be many more reasons to believe that it is serious. The main one being that the fight will count towards the American’s professional record.
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Despite the terror Tyson generates every time he puts on a pair of boxing gloves, the reality is that he has not competed professionally for almost 20 years. His last fight was on June 11, 2005 against Kevin McBride, who knocked him out in the sixth round to end his career.His last years as a boxer showed a very deteriorated image of the American, that of a broken toy to whom fame and vices led to afall into hell.
His retirement did not improve the situation. In fact, it made it worse. ‘Iron Mike’ squandered much of the money he had accumulated during his career, and was in a dire situation. The American admitted that he even scared himself because of the person he became when he focused on boxing. In some interviews, he even broke down in tears remembering it. Like Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, Tyson created a monster that got out of hand. “I was born a killer,” he reminded Jake Paul in the Netflix documentary – the platform that will broadcast the fight – prior to the fight.
“This fight is not going to change my economic situation
Mike Tyson, sobre su combate ante Jake Paul
At the moment, the boxer is at a totally different point in his life, immersed in fruitful business, showing a much more focused image and proving that time has calmed the waters of his personality. Even so, he has allowed himself the luxury of bringing back the Tyson of the past for a fight in which money is the least of his concerns. “This fight is not going to change my financial situation. Even if it was free, it wouldn’t matter. My wife tells me I don’t have to do it. It’s what I want to do; it’s part of who I am. I’m looking for my glory… It’s going to be amazing,” he said recently.
The story of a natural-born killer
Tyson made his debut in 1985, and a year later he was already the youngest heavyweight champion in history at 20 years of age. His 50 victories in 58 fights speak for themselves, with 44 of them by KO. In fact, ‘Iron Mike’ went on an unbeaten run of 37-0 until James Douglas stopped him with a knockout in 1990. After eight more wins in a row, and a spell in prison, it was time for his fights against Evander Holyfield.
In the first of their two encounters, Tyson was knocked out in the 11th round, and in the second came the famous ear bite from Mike to his rival, which cost him disqualification and was the beginning of the end for his career. The American was at a point where his tough guy reputation was getting out of hand. He had just spent a total of three years in prison after being found guilty of rape – from 1992 to 1995 – and his image was already tarnished.
The end of Tyson, and his last victory
After another two years of inactivity, Tyson returned, but nothing was the same. His end was near. Drug positives, KO defeats… the Mike everyone knew was left behind. His comeback lasted from 1999 to 2005, adding ten fights of which he only managed to win half – not counting the victory that was annulled for doping.
For my children I am nobody, but that night they will discover that their father is very special
Mike Tyson, en la previa a su combate con Jake Paul
His last victory came in his penultimate fight, when he knocked out Clifford Etienne in the first round on February 22, 2003. More than 21 years have passed since that knockout, but the fighter Tyson has inside him has led him to return to the ring to show the world once again why he is the most feared boxer in history. “To my children I am nobody, but that night they will discover that their father is very special,” he said in the days leading up to the fight. The old Mike is back.