The heavyweight division in boxing is the best it has been in years, maybe even this century, and yet the potential comeback of Mike Tyson has generated a buzz beyond anything else.
Iron Mike is 54 at the end of June and has been training with the view to making a comeback. In the process, he has got himself in fantastic shape.
Tyson has been appearing in All Elite Wrestling during the coronavirus pandemic, but with Eddie Hearn’s new boxing venue in his garden and even restrictions being eased, he may be back in a boxing ring before long.
One man he won’t share the ring with is Anthony Joshua, though.
AJ is the current WBA (super), IBF, IBO and WBO heavyweight champion and the only strap he doesn’t own is Tyson Fury’s WBC title.
He has a showdown with Kubrat Pulev on the horizon, but when he was asked about the possibility of facing Tyson, AJ thought it was a lose-lose situation.
“With all due respect I wouldn’t [face Tyson],” he told The Sun.
“Even if I fought Iron Mike and beat him, I think I’d be the only one cheering. People would boo. He is a legend. He is the greatest boxer of the modern era.
“There are only two recognised champions the world knows of, Ali and Mike Tyson — the most recognised faces in the world when it comes to boxing.”
Joshua went on to liken Tyson’s comeback to David Beckham returning to football, intimating it probably isn’t a good idea, but it’s not surprising everyone wants to see it.
“I see it like this — how old is David Beckham, 44, 45?” Joshua added.
“If you see him in ten years kicking a ball, doing 100 kick ups, a round-the-world and hitting the crossbar and then an overhead volley into the top corner, people would love it.
“But because Mike Tyson is the embodiment of like, the killing machine, he hits the pads for 15 seconds and the whole world goes crazy, it is normal.
“It is what Tyson knows. But for him to fight… would you be shocked if Beckham came back? You would. But for boxers it’s all they know.”
Joshua remains focused on getting passed Pulev and setting up a date with Tyson Fury to crown an undisputed heavyweight champion.
