Mike Tyson’s Return Confirmed by Don King: ESPN FNF and Boxing Scribe Dan Rafael Proven Wrong
By Geno McGahee
“Unlike other journalists, I did my research and made a phone call,” Dan Rafael smugly noted on a recent episode of Friday Night Fights and then proceeded to dismiss the comeback of Mike Tyson and the report here on RSR. Now, I don’t know how one phone call to one person that may have a vested interest in denying something counts as good research, but this is TV and most people believe what they are told, especially from a powerhouse like ESPN.
In a recent article by Ron Borges, he noted King saying very recently: “It would have been a surprise (announcement) were it not for somebody’s indiscreet comments,’’ King said of a twitter report from a Tyson “friend’’ claiming he was reuniting with King for a possible Holyfield fight. “We would have dropped the bomb that he’s here but we got premature exposure so now here they come! The midnight ramblers and the four day walkers are all coming out.”
As I said in my very first report concerning Mike Tyson, he is on a collision course with Evander Holyfield and it will happen, even if “The Real Deal” should lose to Frans Botha. Don King, with all of the press, can no longer keep a lid on it and may not want to. A Tyson-Holyfield bout has captured the imagination of the public and there is a lot of money to be made.
According to my source, King has spoken to two fighters and their teams about a future bout with Iron Mike. As reported in my first article, Derric Rossy and Tony Grano are top candidates as the first or possibly second opponent for the Tyson return. Mike is working very hard to get back into shape and has dropped a dramatic amount and is focused and ready to return.
Evander will be in the ring with former title challenger, Frans Botha, on April 10th and is expected to come out on top, although Botha is a live dog in the fight. Holyfield who has denied reports of a third Tyson bout has once again misled the public and is eagerly awaiting the paycheck and the high profile showdown. King has a lot of things already in place and is just working out the specifics. Look for an announcement sooner rather than later.
Mike Tyson, 50-6, 44 KO’s, is 43 years old and has been out of the ring for nearly 5 years, and left boxing losing three of his last four fights. On paper, his comeback seems like it has little to no promise, but King said it best when he noted that “Tyson beat Tyson.” The former Undisputed Heavyweight Champion wasn’t matched well, wasn’t motivated and gave himself little to no chance to win.
In 2002, he lost to Lennox Lewis via 8th round stoppage in a fight that was a mess to begin with. Tyson lost his head at a press conference, exchanging blows with Lewis and some others and then exploding on the press. Inside the ring, he was docile and just moved forward, eating punches until Lewis finally landed a haymaker to end it.
Tyson came back with a 49 second knockout of Clifford Etienne. This fight once again showed the strange mindset of Tyson at the time. He pulled out of the fight, got that tattoo on his face, and then elected to go on with the fight. He won via easy KO over a frightened opponent, but he wasn’t mentally prepared for boxing anymore.
Danny Williams, the unknown Brit, was his next opponent, and an injury in the first round, being ill prepared to fight, and the punches of Williams proved too much and Tyson would crumble in four.
In his last fight, the giant Irish mediocrity, Kevin McBride would hand Iron Mike his most embarrassing loss, pounding him into submission in six rounds. Tyson was the most unmotivated he had ever been in his career and it was a sad note to leave the sport on, even stating after the fight that he would not “disgrace the sport” anymore. His heart wasn’t in it.
Five years have past and Mike has put things together. He has matured and is ready to give boxing one more go. The public is ready for it. The media loves it. Boxing needs Iron Mike.
Those that have dismissed him, would have dismissed George Foreman in 1987 when he returned to the ring after ten years away, looking for a showdown with Tyson or a crack at the heavyweight title. Foreman plugged away, ignored the criticism, and would win the title in 1994, with a spectacular knockout over Michael Moorer. Could Tyson regain old form? It’s possible. We are not dealing with a great division at this time.
Grano or Rossy would be the first or second opponent with Holyfield on the radar, and although they are not getting ahead of themselves, should Tyson do well and win consistently and impressively, a shot at the WBA Heavyweight Title, a sanctioning body that King is friendly with, would be available for the Iron one.
In 1986, Mike Tyson won the heavyweight championship of the world from Trevor Berbick. Now, in 2010, he returns to the ring, and will hopefully recapture some of the magic that brought so many fans to boxing, myself included. Tyson comes back with a clear head and focus and no excuses. If he loses this time, it will not be because of his lack of focus or training. He is coming back to win and those out there looking to watch a piece of history happen, get in line because with King behind it and Tyson as the subject, the tickets will go fast.
Stay tuned to RSR for the most accurate and up to date information on the Mike Tyson comeback.