Mike Tyson Training for Return to Fight at 53
Multiple videos have found their way online in recent months showing a spry Mike Tyson bobbing and weaving in a way that doesn’t match his 53 years. Apparently, those videos were teasers as the former undisputed heavyweight champ made a surprise announcement indicating he’s currently training in preparation for a return to the ring.
Mike Tyson’s last fight didn’t end well
Last we heard from Iron Mike Tyson in the ring was June 2005. That’s when a 38-year-old Tyson took on little-known Irish journeyman Kevin McBride. Before the fight, Tyson, who had lost his previous contest by knockout a year earlier to Danny Williams, appeared confident in his matchup with McBride. He called his opponent a tomato can and said he would “gut him like a fish.”
McBride outweighed Mike Tyson by close to 40 pounds, and it showed in the early rounds. McBride’s height and reach advantage kept an aggressive Tyson at bay, while he managed to land several jabs in the process. In the third round, with Tyson landing more punches and gaining momentum, McBride began to lean in on his smaller opponent.
McBride’s defensive strategy paid off, and by the sixth round the former champ began to show signs of fatigue and frustration. At one point during a clinch, Tyson appeared to try and break McBride’s left arm. Boxing referee Joe Cortez warned Tyson about the incident then deducted two points from him moments later when Tyson deliberately delivered a head butt to McBride that opened up a gash over his left eye.
By most accounts, even with the two-point deduction, Tyson was leading the fight. Then, inexplicably, Tyson stunned his opponent and the crowd when he refused to leave his corner to start the seventh round. McBride was awarded the victory by technical knockout.
Tyson training for a return to boxing
In a live Instagram video with rapper T.I., Mike Tyson shocked the host and those watching when he announced that he has been actively training for a return to the ring and described in detail what makes up his daily workout routine.
“I do two hours on cardio. I do the bike and the treadmill for an hour, then I do some light weights, 300, 250 reps. Then I start my day with the boxing thing. I go in there and hit the mitts, 30 minutes, 25 minutes, start getting in better condition.”
Mike Tyson
At age 53, Tyson said his body feels it more, but he’s even impressed himself with his sharpness.
“I’ve been hitting the mitts for the last week. That’s been tough, my body is really jacked up and really sore from hitting the mitts. I’m starting to put those combinations together. I’m in pain. I feel like three guys kicked the s*** out of me.”
What could a Mike Tyson return look like?
Mike Tyson said while there is no definitive timeline on a return, he does have an idea of the type of fights he wants.
“I want to box three or four-round exhibitions for some charities and stuff. Some charity exhibitions, make some money, help some homeless and drug-affected motherfu***ers like me,” Tyson said in the interview.
This wouldn’t be the first time Tyson returned to the ring since his last professional fight in 2005. In 2006, in order to help pay off his debts, he fought a series of four-round exhibitions against journeyman heavyweight Corey “T-Rex” Sanders in Youngstown, Ohio.
In the initial fight, fans were disappointed. Tyson landed a powerful right-hand combination in the first round that sent the 6-foot-6-inch Sanders tumbling to the floor. Tyson uncharacteristically did not go in for the kill after Sanders made it to his feet, which boxing fans wanted to see. Instead, he backed off and they fought the entire four rounds.
When Mike Tyson returns to the ring this next time, fans can expect the same thing. He’s not trying to go in and blast his opponent. He’s showing off his boxing skills to many who have never seen him fight live and making money for good causes in the process. That’s a win-win situation for everyone involved.
