Mike Tyson is just days away from his return to the ring, two years shy of 60-year-old, to face a man, Jake Paul, in his late twenties.
It has been 19 years since ‘Iron’ Mike has seen professional action. He retired on back-to-back losses to Danny Williams and Kevin McBride. If the discussion is on his prime, fans will have to look back even further – perhaps 35 years – to see him at his destructive best.
It is that fact, even despite Paul not having the skill set of a top contender, that has led many to comment that the event is dangerous and should not be going ahead. Those feelings were fuelled when Tyson was forced to pull out of the original date with an ulcer flare-up.
The former undisputed heavyweight champion has done his best to convince the paying public that he is ready to fight and will have enough left in the tank to ‘end’ Jake Paul. Short training clips and a three-part Netflix series featuring camp footage has shown him throwing the shots that 1980s heavyweights feared.
Bruno – who would win the heavyweight championship later in ’95 but then lose in a rematch to Tyson and retire – took to social media to say that his former opponent “still looks scary!”
Still looks scary!! https://t.co/N5lPUo3LH0
— Frank Bruno MBE 🇬🇧 (@frankbrunoboxer) November 11, 2024
Others like Lennox Lewis and Buster Douglas, who both have wins over Mike, have backed him in the contest. However, many in the sport, including current world champions Shakur Stevenson and Terence Crawford, don’t want to see Tyson step through the ropes at this age.
