It has been 15 years since one of the most revered heavyweights in the history of Boxing stated after his loss to the largely unknown Irishman Kevin McBride that he no longer had the desire to fight again and was just fighting to pay his debts.
However over the last month, the Boxing world have been stunned at the prospect of a return to the ring for an exhibition fight for the man once known for being the “Baddest Man On The Planet”.
What has amazed fight fans is not just the fact that at the age of nearly 54 that Tyson is returning to the ring, but the fantastic physical condition he is in where it appears that he has lost none of the hand speed and ferocious combinations which made him such an iconic figure in the history of Boxing.
However, there should be some caution as to what we will see in the ring. As beautiful as it was to see the destructive cominations on the mitts and body protection of his Trainer Rafael Cordeiro, this was not against a credible sparring partner trading punches against the former Undisputed Heavyweight Champion.
Tyson has declared that the exhibition bouts he plans to have are purely for charity and not for him to gain any profit. A year after officially retiring, Tyson had once taken on an exhibition bout which was to help pay off some of his debts in which he fought fellow American Corey “T-Rex” Saunders.
There have been mixed views on whether Tyson should take things further and return to the professional ranks to challenge for the heavyweight title. George Foreman who holds the record for being the oldest Heavyweight Champion at 45 years old, believes that even now that Tyson could hold his own against the current heavyweight fighters of this era if he were to dedicate himself long-term.
Unlike sports such as Golf and Tennis, Boxing is far too dangerous for a trend to develop to have an equivalent of a Seniors Tour unless there are strict rules and regulations to adhere to in the ring which it is rumoured that the 57 year old Evander Holyfield would want if he were to face Tyson in the ring again.
Nigel Benn himself at the age of 55, believed that he was in better shape than he was in his prime when last year he had planned a one-off professional comeback to the ring against former foe Sakio Bika last year. But the wear and tear of a 55 year old body soon put paid to a comeback when the fight was cancelled due to a shoulder injury.
Mike Tyson will forever remain an iconic figure for being the youngest ever Heavyweight Champion at 20 years old and also for the brutal manner in which he knocked out 44 opponents in a total of 58 bouts which is still celebrated amongst the current generation of fight fans.
However it would defy logic for a man way past his prime as an athlete to attempt to turn back the clock and destruct and destroy opponents as he once did if he were tempted to return to the professional ranks.
Tyson clearly has found the desire to get back in shape theraputic for his own wellbeing. And a chilling display in an exhibtion bout against a worthy opponent will remind fight fans what made him the outstanding fighter he was in which it was a major occasion to watch him live on television or at an arena with the expection of witnessing a knockout.