Mike Tyson chose to fight again in his fifties, knowing his last real professional boxing match ended with the most honest of admissions.
At the time, Tyson had been beaten by Kevin McBride, an unheralded heavyweight with connections to Ireland who had no business defeating an icon. In his previous bout the year before, Tyson was humbled by another also-ran, Briton Danny Williams.
After the Williams loss, which Tyson later stated he hardly even trained for, McBride took full advantage of the former undisputed champion’s lack of desire. Tyson was forced to fight to support his lifestyle and had nothing to offer.
The worrying thing is that twenty years later, Mike Tyson tried to convince himself and the boxing world that the fire had suddenly returned at 58. An exhibition against Roy Jones Jr. in 2020 will tell you all you need to know about that statement.
Tyson and Jones could not make a dent in each other over twelve rounds, as Father Time led the pair to a stalemate after ten rounds. Fast-forward four years, and Tyson faced YouTuber Jake Paul, threatening to do more damage than ever.
Reading between the lines, it’s not hard to figure out that Tyson is simply selling himself again, as he did when he made his initial comeback in the mid-1990s. Anyone unsure if Tyson could get up for fighting someone like Paul only has to look at the interview with Jim Gray to know that notion will be tough.
Asked by Gray, “Did you want to continue?” – Tyson was so despondent about the fight game that he’d have lost to any other boxer on earth that night in 2005.
“Well, I would like to continue, but I saw that I was getting beat on. I realized I don’t think I have it anymore because I have the ability to stay in shape, but I don’t have the fighting guts. I don’t think anymore,” admitted Mike.
Gray asked, “When did you recognize that? In what part of the fight?”
Tyson responded, “I don’t know, early into the fight. I’m just sorry I let everybody down. I don’t have this in my heart anymore.”
Again, Gray, clearly taken aback, pressed on with the interview. He added, “Did you feel as though you had it coming into the fight?”
The former ‘Baddest Man on the Planet’ said, “No, I’m just fighting to take care of my bills, basically. I don’t have the stomach for this kind of thing anymore. I’m more conscious of my children and these guys looking at my parents. I don’t have that ferocity. I’m not an animal anymore.”
After a final question on his future, Tyson predicted he would never return to the ring.
Gray: “Does that mean we won’t see you fight again?”
Tyson: “Yeah, most likely, I’m not going to fight again. I’m not going to disrespect the sport in my life, losing to this caliber of fighters.”
He kept that promise until November 2024, but Tyson didn’t have it then, and he didn’t have it now. It was hard to envisage that the boxing legend would be able to get it back after such a long time out of the professional ranks.
Massive weight gain, financial struggles, and stage shows led to acting gigs [The Hangover], a business venture, and a successful podcast.
The Tyson we see now is no longer the Tyson we knew and loved, who ripped through the division during the 1980s. By his own admission, the family man and placid civilian have long replaced the ferocious beast who used his aura alone to strike fear through the entire glamor division.
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Read all articles and exclusive interviews by Phil Jay. Learn more about the author, experienced boxing writer, and World Boxing News Editor since 2010. Follow on Twitter @PhilJWBN and Quora.