By Geno McGahee
Mike Tyson, 50-6, 44 KO’s, has been teasing a comeback to the world of boxing and a recent video of him hitting the mitts has given it some credibility. The last time we saw Tyson in a fight was a terrible loss to Kevin McBride in 2005 and the idea of ever seeing him lace up the gloves again in a sanctioned fight seemed far-fetched, but he has come a long way since 2005.
In 1986, Tyson would win the WBC version of the heavyweight title from Trevor Berbick in 2 rounds, leading to successful unification bouts against Tony Tucker and Bonecrusher Smith. He would become one of boxing’s biggest star with his ferocity and ability to knock out the top contenders and former champions with ease and in quick fashion.
In 1990, the biggest upset in boxing history would occur when James “Buster” Douglas would knock out Mike Tyson. Tyson would comeback with several victories, including wins over Razor Ruddock, Alex Stewart and Henry Tillman before going to prison for rape. He would emerge and refocus on boxing, going on to regain the WBC and WBA heavyweight titles with wins over Frank Bruno and Bruce Seldon.
The career and aura of Mike Tyson would evaporate with back to back losses to Evander Holyfield, with the rematch leading to a suspension for the bite heard around the world. Being boxing’s baddest man on the planet transitioned into a train wreck with people watching to see what outrageous thing that Tyson would do rather than see his expertise with his fists. From trying to break the arm of Frans Botha, to knocking Orlin Norris out after the bell rang, to pushing the referee aside to pound Lou Savarese even more after stopping him, Mike Tyson was pure madness in the ring.
In the last big fight in the career of Tyson, he would face off with Lennox Lewis in 2002. Unfortunately, this fight happened far too late and Iron Mike could not hang with one of the best heavyweights of all time who was fighting near perfect fights at the time. Losing 3 of his last 4 fights of his professional career and being 53 years old, why is there so much hype surrounding his return? There are a few reasons.
One of the biggest reasons is that we miss Tyson and the incredible journey we experienced with him. There was nothing like a Tyson fight and no other heavyweight has been able to bring the electricity like he did. When Tyson left the sport, the heavyweight division was lost, with the long-range style taking over. Lennox Lewis began the trend and the Klitschko Brothers maintained the course. It was effective but not exciting.
Another reason is that we love redemption stories and the Tyson that lost to McBride is not the same Tyson that we see now. The last five years in the life of Tyson have been very positive. His head is in the right place and he is getting in great shape. After watching him throw the punches on the mitts, I couldn’t help but to think that he could beat a lot of active heavyweights even at 53 years in age.
A scary thought that has been floating around is matching Tyson with the former champion, Deontay Wilder. Wilder is a killer with only one defeat and with a history of his opponents being carried out of the ring. A Tyson-Wilder fight has been mentioned by a few and some have even favored Tyson, amazingly.
A prime Tyson would have probably knocked Wilder out, but the Tyson comeback shouldn’t aim for such a match. Most likely, the comeback will not be a professional one. I expect exhibitions and successful exhibitions, although, I would gladly rent a Mike Tyson PPV comeback no matter who the opponent.
Boxing is a sport that is short of superstars, which is why this comeback of a 53 year old former champion is making such noise. It’s why it made such noise in 1995 when Tyson emerged from prison to return to the ring against Peter McNeeley. Now, in 2020, we may see Kid Dynamite comeback. I wonder if McNeeley is available for a rematch.
