Mike Tyson’s disagreements with Deontay Wilder keep coming despite the pair of knockout heavyweight punchers staying civil for some time.
Boxing legend Tyson addressed Wilder in his latest in-depth interview as the ex-undisputed champion prepares for a comeback in November at 58. Asked his thoughts on Wilder questioning his desire to return to action when approaching his sixties, Tyson wouldn’t accept any concerns from “The Bronze Bomber.”
“Then let Mike get hurt. You don’t have to worry about paying my bills,” Tyson told Esquire. “Everyone says this makes no sense, but he’s how old [Wilder is 38]?”
“He’s not who I am. He can’t go to Mongolia and have somebody know who he is.”
Despite Wilder initially blasting Tyson for his plans to face a YouTuber, the one-time WBC ruler mentioned the 1980s icon after losing to Zhilei Zhang in June.
“I would just like to wish Mike the best,” said Wilder as he contemplated a second successive loss in Saudi Arabia.
The beef between Wilder and Tyson began a few years ago. Wilder owned the WBC title and was at the pinnacle of his career. Wilder addressed whether he should be rated higher than Tyson in the all-time top division rankings in a live social media conversation with fans.
His response exploded in the media as Wilder pointed out that Tyson hadn’t fought or defeated many Hall of Famers in his career.
“Folks, half of you don’t know your history. When it comes to the sport of boxing, let’s face it. You do not know your history,” Wilder stated. “You do not know your facts. All you know is what you hear. Go back and do your facts. Go back and do your history. If you go back. I want somebody to answer this question: How many Hall of Fame fighters did Mike Tyson actually fight?”
After getting several hostile replies, Wilder tried to defuse the situation at the time.
“We love Mike Tyson, of course. We love them all. Do you know what I’m saying? I love them all. We love them all. They did a great job. But go back and look up your facts.”
However, Wilder repeated his point on more than one occasion and held no loyalty to Mike Tyson. If the pair cross paths in one of the forthcoming WBC Conventions, as many of their top champions tend to receive invites from President Mauricio Sulaiman, it will be interesting to see how both men react.
For now, hostilities remain.
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.
