Almost four decades after his professional debut and 19 years since his retirement, 58-year-old Mike Tyson is set to make a comeback in the ring on Friday in a Netflix-sponsored fight that has sparked significant backlash within the boxing community.
Tyson, who was a dominant force in the heavyweight division during the late 1980s, will once again put on the gloves to face 27-year-old YouTuber Jake Paul in an officially sanctioned match at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas, home to the Dallas Cowboys.
Originally scheduled for July, the fight was delayed in May after Tyson needed medical attention due to vomiting blood on a flight from Miami to Los Angeles caused by a bleeding ulcer.
This incident has led to widespread criticism of Friday’s match, with many labelling it a grim spectacle that puts Tyson’s health at unnecessary risk. Tyson’s last professional fight took place in 2005, ending in a technical knockout loss to Irish fighter Kevin McBride, who won after Tyson quit on his stool.
“This shouldn’t be going on.”
“Mike Tyson retired from boxing 20 years ago and was already worn out,” British promoter Eddie Hearn said this week.
“If anyone thinks Mike Tyson should be in a ring at this age, you either have absolutely no concern for him, or you’re being reckless. This shouldn’t be happening.”
Hearn’s promotional partner, Frank Warren, expressed a similar view.
“Mike Tyson is 58 years of age and he shouldn’t be fighting,” Warren said. “It’s as simple as that.”
Comparing the fight to a roadside accident, Warren added, “You’re on the motorway, and everyone’s slowing down just to look at a crash — that’s what this is.”
Tyson, who is said to be making approximately $20 million from the fight, has shrugged off worries about his health, asserting that his critics are driven by envy.
“I’m beautiful, that’s all I can say,” he responded earlier this year. “Those who criticise wish they were in my place. No one else can do this.”
AFP
