Boxing’s fallen idols have always returned to the scene of their former glory; they are men on some type of mission to discover if they have one last fight left. On Friday in Arlington against Jake Paul, Tyson was not in search of any such ridiculous truths or notions because he was back for money. And lots of it, perhaps as much as $60m (£47.5m) between them.
The giants of the ring fight on because they want to and, contrary to the simple thinking, they will not damage their reputations if they get splattered by a child star from Disney or a novice YouTuber. There is nothing that Paul could have done to Mike Tyson on Friday night that would have in any way diminished Tyson’s boxing achievements. To believe otherwise is just lazy; Tyson’s dignity – especially the clip of his backside hanging out of his protector straps – took a beating, not his place in boxing history.
In recent years, Evander Holyfield and Roy Jones Jr – both genuine greats – took fights in search of one more win, one more night under the stars. Jones Jr might not be finished just yet.
Tyson throws a punch at Paul at the AT&T Stadium (USAToday Sports via Reuters Con)
This story is from the November 19, 2024 edition of The Independent.
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This story is from the November 19, 2024 edition of The Independent.
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