Mike Tyson could have fought the world’s heavyweight champion but priced himself out of the fight after an exhibition comeback.
‘The Baddest Man on the Planet,’ a former undisputed ruler in the late 1980s, held talks with Tyson Fury in the months following a comeback draw with Roy Jones Jr. Tyson and RJJ agreed to an ill-fated Triller exhibition that gave both a taste of what might have been in the years they were out of the ring.
Months later, the then-WBC heavyweight champion Tyson Fury revealed his interest in facing Tyson despite his father, John, calling out the New Yorker. Fury showed serious consideration and discussed the fight with several media outlets two years after appearing on ‘Iron’ Mike’s now defunct HotBoxin’ Podcast.
Fury was quoted as stating Tyson asked for half a billion UK pounds, which in today’s dollars equates to almost $650 million. Little did Mike Tyson know that he’d be offered a fight against YouTuber Jake Paul not long after, meaning pricing himself was unnecessary. Mike probably thought he’d never get to fight again after the Jones event until Paul came calling, wanting to trade blows with a 58-year-old.
Where Paul currently treads, Fury wouldn’t have any solid contemplation. Maybe when Tyson was in his mid-fifties, but undoubtedly not approaching sixty years old. Tyson was 53 when the subject was first breached, but there’s too much water under the bridge.
ESPN, a broadcaster who worked with Fury then, even stumped up $10 million for the Tyson vs. Tyson exhibition, a sign of worldwide network interest. However, the money on the table wasn’t enough for Tyson to agree to a fight against the world’s heavyweight champion.
Now, facing Paul – on the other hand is a different story. Mike Tyson will be pocketing a massive fee from Netflix for his time and won’t have to share the ring with a 6″ 9′ giant who hits like a mule, exhibition or not.
Tyson vs Paul makes sense to some due to the age gap and ability of both, who cancel each other out with lack of ability and sheer deterioration. The headliner could descend into farce over the eight two-minute rounds, so maybe Mike Tyson should have held out for a more significant paycheck.
Where will these exhibitions end up if 58-year-old legends are coming out of retirement for the money after previous outlandish demands?
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.
