Nearly 40 years after his professional debut and 19 years since his forced retirement following a series of punishing losses, 58-year-old Mike Tyson is set to return to the ring this Friday. The highly anticipated match, backed by Netflix, has sparked widespread criticism throughout the boxing community.
Tyson, who dominated the heavyweight division during his unstoppable reign in the late 1980s, is stepping back into the ring to face YouTuber Jake Paul, 27, in an officially sanctioned match. The bout will take place at AT&T Stadium, the home of the Dallas Cowboys, in Arlington, Texas.
The fight, scheduled for eight two-minute rounds, was originally set for July but was postponed in May after Tyson required medical attention during a flight from Miami to Los Angeles. He had vomited blood due to a bleeding ulcer, prompting the delay.
The disturbing mid-air medical emergency has fueled further criticism of Friday’s bout, with many labeling it a macabre spectacle that endangers Tyson's health. Critics argue that the fight poses an unacceptable risk for Tyson, who last fought professionally in 2005, when he was defeated by technical knockout after retiring on his stool against Irish journeyman Kevin McBride.
"It shouldn't be happening," said Eddie Hearn, a prominent British fight promoter, speaking out against Tyson’s return to the ring. "Twenty years ago, Mike Tyson retired from boxing, and was shot to pieces, right? I mean, completely shot," Hearn added this week.
"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." Hearn's rival, promoter Frank Warren, shared similar concerns, echoing his sentiments on the controversial fight.
"Mike Tyson is 58 years of age and he shouldn't be fighting," said Frank Warren following the announcement of the bout. "It's as simple as that."
Warren continued, "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."
Tyson, reportedly earning around $20 million for Friday’s fight according to US reports, has dismissed concerns about his well-being, suggesting that critics from the boxing world are simply driven by jealousy.
"I'm beautiful, that's all I can say," Tyson remarked earlier this year. "The people who said that wish they were up here. No-one else can do this."
During an open workout in Texas this week, Tyson revealed that a grueling training camp had strengthened his belief that "I'm tougher than I believed I was." He added, "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."
At a final press conference in Texas on Wednesday, a stern-faced Tyson made it clear he had no interest in the pre-fight theatrics.
"I'm just ready to fight," he said. "I'm looking forward to fighting."
His opponent, Jake Paul — born six months before Tyson famously bit off a piece of Evander Holyfield's ear during their notorious 1997 rematch — first gained fame as a YouTuber before shifting his focus to boxing.
"I feel really good, sharp, powerful and explosive. It's going to be a short night for Mike," Jake Paul said during Tuesday's open workout, where he appeared wearing a peculiar rooster-shaped headpiece.
It’s widely believed that a prime, 1980s-era Tyson would have likely dispatched Paul within a matter of minutes.
The question remains: does Tyson still possess enough of the raw talent and destructive power that made him the youngest heavyweight champion in history at just 20 years old? On Friday, a global audience of millions on Netflix, along with tens of thousands inside AT&T Stadium, will be watching to find out if Tyson's hard work has paid off.
(Source: BSSNEWS)
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