Nearly two decades after hanging his gloves, 58-year-old Mike Tyson is set to climb back into the ring on Friday for a Netflix-backed bout. Tyson, who terrorised the heavyweight division during an imperious reign in the late 1980s, will face 27-year-old YouTuber-turned-boxer Jake Paul in an officially sanctioned fight at AT&T Stadium, the home of the Dallas Cowboys, in Texas, US.
Tyson, who became the youngest heavyweight champion in history at the age of 20 years and four months in 1986, retired in 2005 after losing to Kevin McBride. At the time, he said he didn't have anything left to give the sport. The boxing legend last fought against Roy Jones Jr. in an exhibition match, with no fans during the pandemic in 2020.
Now, by taking on a man not even half his age, the former world heavyweight champion will become one of the oldest boxers to compete in a sanctioned professional fight. The bout, which according to experts is not an exhibition match, is been described by experts as an "indictment on boxing" and a "competitive fight".
Tyson Back In The Ring
So, why is Mike Tyson lacing up the gloves once more after 19 years? Simple answer - the money. As per reports, Mike Tyson is being paid USD 20 million just for this one match. Jake Paul is reportedly getting double of that - USD 40 million.
A showdown is also seen as Netflix's latest one-two punch, as the media giant hopes to cash in on sports' sprint to streaming. The streaming powerhouse will broadcast the event live to a global subscriber list of 280 million. Moreover, a crowd of about 70,000 is expected at the stadium to witness Tyson once again in the ring, according to a BBC report.
For the streaming giant, Tyson vs. Paul is their biggest live sports event to date and an opportunity to ensure that it can handle audience demand with the NFL and WWE on the horizon.
Concerns Over Health
The Netflix-backed bout has also drawn widespread condemnation across the boxing world. Though the rules of the game have been altered, experts have weighed in on how Mike Tyson's age might play a factor in the highly anticipated fight. The bout was initially due to take place in July but was postponed in May after Tyson required medical treatment on a flight from Miami to Los Angeles after vomiting blood due to a bleeding ulcer.
Raising the issue, Stephen Hughes, a senior lecturer of medicine at Anglia Riskin University in England, cited Tyson's age and past alcohol abuse as risk factors. In an article published by "The Conversation", Hughes that a head trauma during a fight could put the boxer at greater risk of suffering a subdural hematoma, which is potentially fatal.
Prominent British fight promoter Eddie Hearn also flagged risk to Tyson's health during the fight and said, "Twenty years ago, Mike Tyson retired from boxing, and was shot to pieces, right? I mean, completely shot."
"If anyone thinks that Mike Tyson should be in a ring at this age, you either have absolutely no emotional feelings toward the man, or you're an idiot. It shouldn't be happening," he added.
Hearn's rival promoter Frank Warren echoed those sentiments and said, "Mike Tyson is 58 years of age and he shouldn't be fighting."
"Anyone with an ounce of brains knows that it is ridiculous. You can be on a motorway stuck in a traffic jam and you get to the end of it and all it is is people who have stopped to look at a crash -- and that's what this is," he added.
Mike Tyson's Reply
Mike Tyson, who US reports say is being paid around $20 million for Friday's contest, has brushed off the concerns for his well-being, insisting that critics from the boxing world are motivated by jealousy.
"I'm beautiful, that's all I can say," he said earlier this year. "The people who said that wish they were up here. No-one else can do this."
At an open workout in Texas this week, Tyson declared that a gruelling training camp had left him with the conviction "that I'm tougher than I believed I was."
"When I agreed to this fight and started training, I thought 'What was I thinking of?' But I've finished the process. The fight is the party. All the hard work is done."
