The return of heavyweight legend Mike Tyson captured the attention of millions.
The 58-year-old former world heavyweight champion returned to the sport in November when he faced Youtube star Jake Paul at the AT&T Stadium in Arlington. The contest didn’t live up to the hype and Paul cruised to a wide points victory.
The last time ‘Iron’ Mike fought as a professional before clashing with ‘The Problem Child’ was way back in 2005, when he was defeated by Irishman Kevin McBride in the 6th-round of their bout in Washington.
Paul made his professional boxing debut in 2020 when he beat fellow social media star AnEson Gib. Since then he has fought eleven times, losing just once to Tommy Fury. He has defeated MMA legends Anderson Silva, Nate Diaz and Tyron Woodley, holding a record of 11-1.
In the weeks following their meeting in Texas, some within the sport suggested the fight was rigged so both men left the ring unscathed with no lasting damage.
Speaking to The Big Podcast With Shaq, heavyweight legend and ‘Iron’ Mike’s former opponent Evander Holyfield addressed claims that the fight between Tyson and 27-year-old was ‘scripted’.
“It looked suspicious. He didn’t look stable.”
Whilst Paul gears up to make his return to the ring, which is expected to come within the first half of 2025, the former undisputed heavyweight champion Tyson has confirmed his plans to go back into retirement, which has delighted the boxing community.
Whilst an opponent for ‘The Problem Child’ is yet to be confirmed, there have been a number of calls for the 27-year-old to make a considerable jump in quality of opposition, especially if he intends on fighting for a world title at some stage during his career.
