Mike Tyson returns to the ring this month to face Jake Paul.
Tyson last fought professionally in 2005, retiring on a loss to Kevin McBride after which he said fighting wasn’t in his heart anymore. He has kept to his word outside of an exhibition with Roy Jones Jr in 2020.
Paul – who was just eight-years-old at the time of Tyson hanging up the gloves – has carved a unique corner of the sport for himself, taking on mostly former UFC fighters in lucrative events. He has faced more traditional boxers on a few occasions, one of which being his sole loss to Tommy Fury.
Many in the sport are worried about the potential implications of 58-year-old ‘Iron’ Mike stepping through the ropes against a man 30 years his junior with, even despite the gulf in skillset, formidable power.
That doesn’t include coach Robert Garcia. The trainer of the likes of Jesse ‘Bam’ Rodriguez and Vergil Ortiz Jr told Fight Hub TV that he believes the the fight is just a show.
“It’s a great event but honestly, to me, it’s just a show.”
Garcia went on to compare the fight night to the world of professional wrestling.
“It’s like people paying their tickets to watch Royal Rumble. That’s just the way I see it. Tyson’s almost 60. If we go back to when he was still a professional fighter, his last couple of performances were not very good … I think it’s just going to be a show where they’re gonna go out there and perform for a huge crowd and the millions and millions watching on Netflix.
I think it’s gonna be just a performance. Entertainment. I don’t really think it’s gonna be a real fight. I wouldn’t be surprised if they’ve been staging it together just to put up a good show, honestly. A 60-year-old, there’s no way he could be fighting anymore. I’m telling you.”
The official rules state that the fight will be contested over eight two-minute rounds. Both men will sport 14 ounce gloves and knockdowns/knockouts are allowed. The result will be on professional records.
