Mike Tyson heads into a November return to action with danger signs marking what will be a long road to AT&T Stadium.
Tyson, 58, may well heed the tale of a heavyweight legend who was deemed ‘unfit to fight’ when attempting to return at age 53.
Four years after his last professional fight, former world middleweight, super-middleweight, light-heavyweight, and cruiserweight champion James Toney was blocked by the Association of Boxing Commissions when trying to make a comeback in 2021.
Toney was five years younger than Tyson and had been far more active in the years before than “The Baddest Man” has in the past two decades. Despite those facts and a stomach ulcer, Mike Tyson is sanctioned to fight a YouTuber on November 15.
The 1980s icon and one-time undisputed king has received several warnings from fans and the media that his intentions to return are dangerous. He should consider the decision to veto Toney’s bout and think long and hard about his plans.
‘Lights Out’ Toney has been the subject of many conversations about the damage boxing has done him over the years. Most notable is the Michigan native’s largely unrecognizable speech. That instant smack in the face when watching interviews of Toney in recent years would have certainly contributed to ABC’s decision.
James Toney was deemed unfit to box at 53
Three years ago, Toney signed up for an encounter with Jeremy Williams. The fight was scheduled for shortly after Evander Holyfield had been wiped out on his return at 58 against Vitor Belfort. Tensions were high among those who wanted to protect the future of our boxing legends. After an ABC ‘High-Risk Fighter Review,’ Toney was deemed unfit to box.
It’s thought the Belfort-Holyfield situation had a bearing on the pressure behind the decision.
The man who tried to get Toney back to work, Todd Lewis, an event organizer for Blue Moon, spoke exclusively to World Boxing News at the time of the block. Lewis said the real issue was the need to help boxers who retired without larger sums of money financially.
“Blue Moon is officially canceling the Toney vs. Williams fight. However, we hope this cancellation draws more attention to the bigger issue,” Lewis told WBN. “Blue Moon is very happy to hear that the Association of Boxing Commission and the Medical Advisory Board are initiating a ‘High-Risk Fighter Review. ‘
“Their actions are drawing attention to the bigger problem. Boxing is the only professional sport criticized for not having a union or pension for its past fighters. This non-profit provides these struggling ex-fighters with an income after their careers are over.
“In the immediate future, fight fans and corporations that sponsor boxing. They can donate to help these struggling athletes by going to legendsofboxing.org. We look forward to collaborating with sanctioning bodies to boost the exposure of the amazing non-profit further,” he added.
Mike Tyson’s comeback at 58
It’s well-known that Tyson doesn’t have that problem anymore. But he did at one stage when he was declared bankrupt despite earning tens of millions of dollars during his career’s first and second parts.
Money aside, the repercussions will be felt around if anything physical happens to Tyson against a 27-year-old influencer.
Toney eventually did manage to get back in the ring in 2023, but only in an exhibition capacity. There was staunch opposition to the fight after Toney and Razor Ruddock squared up following the weigh-in.
Furthermore, the ex-champ and his opponent were well overweight. After the bell rank, they were slow as they shared punches in Jamaica for charity.
Read all articles and exclusive interviews by Phil Jay. Learn more about the author experienced boxing writer, and World Boxing News Editor since 2010. Follow on Twitter @PhilJWBN.
