By: Hans Themistode
The Mike Tyson who carried around with him an aura of invincibility throughout the 1990s, was a far cry from the man who laid slumped on the ropes at the MCI Center in Washington D.C. at the hands of journeymen Kevin McBride in 2005.
On the night, the man who appeared inside of the ring may have resembled the former heavyweight titlist, but the real Mike Tyson was nowhere to be found.
“That guy that was in Washington D.C. was just a ghost of me,” said Tyson during a recent presser. “I was happy to leave the ring man.”
Shortly after losing via sixth round stoppage, Tyson would announce his retirement to the world. His words may have come as a shock to his fans, but with his heart no longer fully invested in the sport and his legal troubles piling up, Tyson was no longer fighting because he wanted to but more so because he needed to.
“I was fighting for just financial purposes and I was on drugs back then,” explained Tyson. “I dreaded even being in the ring at that time.”
Tyson, 54, may have ended his career on a whimper, but with the former heavyweight titlist dropping workout video, after workout video which depicts him looking far younger than what his birth certificate entails,
he simply can’t wait to enter the ring again.
On November 28th, he’ll do just that when he ends his 15 year retirement to take on future hall of famer Roy Jones Jr. in an exhibition matchup at the Staples Center in Carson, California. The two boxing icons were once in discussion to face off against one another nearly two decades ago when they campaigned in the same weight class. Dreams of a mega fight between them would never materialize as both sides could never agree to terms.
Still, for Tyson, he could care less about answering questions about how their contest would have played out. Also, the lasting image of a man who was once considered “The Baddest Man On The Planet,” isn’t exactly what’s on his mind either. Instead, he’ll be looking to etch a new memory as opposed to the one that saw him dejected and ousted from both the ring and his illustrious career.
“I was a whole different person back then. I have the desire and will to do this now. I’m just ready to do this stuff and I’m feeling really great so I want the world to see how I look.”