Mike Tyson showed off his punching power at 57, proving he still has heavy hands.
Tyson was known for being one of the most destructive knockout artists ever. Iron Mike proved that, as his first 28 wins included 26 knockouts. Mike last boxed in 2020 in an exhibition against Roy Jones Jr. The fight ended in a draw but sold over a million PPVs, showing that Tyson could still command a big fanbase.
He has recently entered into training, having trained Francis Ngannou on his boxing debut against Tyson Fury. Ngannou performed better than expected, dropping Fury in the third round, even if he lost a split decision.
Some in the boxing community felt Ngannou had been robbed. Ngannou will now face Anthony Joshua on March 8. But it is not clear if Tyson will be in his camp since Mike has yet to make an announcement. But Ngannou’s coach, Dewey Cooper, expects it to happen.
Tyson’s Role
“Whatever way Francis wants Mike Tyson to be involved, he will be. I love Mike, we go back way before any of this Francis Ngannou–UFC stuff was happening anyway. So, I hope he will come through like he did last time and keep implementing his mentality and technique. I’m sure he will, but either way, [Ngannou] is going to be prepared and ready to go against Anthony Joshua,” Cooper stated
In the meantime, Tyson is busy staying in shape. The following footage shows Mike throwing his shots on the mitts, as he still has the power to do damage.
Tyson’s Sparring
This is Mike Tyson at 57. 😱 pic.twitter.com/rUkKNh8Scx
— Bloody Elbow (@BloodyElbow) February 15, 2024
Despite this being the case, Tyson is unlikely to fight again. After the Roy Jones Jr. fight, Tyson’s comments suggested he won’t return.
“I was afraid I might get hurt!” Interrupted Tyson. “I didn’t fight in 20 years, he only stopped fighting for three years… why’d nobody care about my ass?! [And] I didn’t fight in 15 years, he stopped fighting three years ago – and everybody worried about his ass. I haven’t done this in 15, 16 years! I’m not a giant – I’m a beginner,” Tyson stated
Tyson still has plenty of people looking to get in the ring with him. John Fury suggested the idea in the build-up for Fury-Ngannou. While Tyson did not rule it out, the bout is unlikely. Another name that was mentioned in the past was Jake Paul. The Problem Child is known for putting on big boxing events against famous combat fighters.
But since he focuses on fighting professional boxers, that is unlikely to materialize. He had shown this when he knocked out Andre August in the first round, the first pro boxer he stopped. However, if Tyson can help Ngannou progress, he may find himself as a trainer.
He has shown that he has the knowledge to develop game plans, having been the former Undisputed Heavyweight Champion of the world. Since Ngannou is two fights away from getting that, Tyson’s input will be vital.
