By Charles Brun: Mike Tyson STILL knocks out any heavyweight in the division at age 53, according to ‘Golden Boy’ Oscar De La Hoya. After watching a clip of former heavyweight champion Tyson (50-6, 44 KOs) working out on the mitts, Dela Hoya predicted that he’d KO anyone in the division if he trains for 12 rounds.
The video clip, by the way, went viral and is being talked amount by the entire boxing world. The speed, punching power, and the technique that Tyson showed during the brief clip went unrivaled by any of the current top heavyweights in boxing.
Tyson’s former trainer says he destroys Deontay Wilder
Jeff Fenech, the old trainer for Mike Tyson, believes that he would wild knockout former WBC heavyweight champion Deontay Wilder in the first round if he worked hard and went through six weeks of training camp.
Further, many people want to see Tyson make a comeback for at least one fight against Wilder. The fans believe that Tyson will knock Wilder (42-1-1, 41 KOs) out in the first two rounds.
“I’m sure that if he trains for 12 rounds, right now, he’ll knock out any heavyweight,” said Dela Hoya about Mike Tyson to The Sun.
It would be interesting to see how Tyson would do against one of the best heavyweights in the division if he went through a full training camp. Of course, it could prove challenging to get one of the top guys like Wilder, Fury, or Joshua to agree to take on the 53-year-old Tyson.
There would be a tremendous backlash for one of them if they were to lose to the former heavyweight champion. It would be a lose-lose situation for any of those current top heavyweights to take on Tyson at this point because they won’t gain anything in facing him other than money.
Nothing to gain in fighting Mike Tyson
If they beat Tyson, then boxing fans will downplay their victory by saying, ‘You beat an old man.’ If they lose to Tyson, then it’s career over. The fans would never let Fury, Wilder, or Joshua forget that they lost to the 53-year-old Tyson.
Unfortunately for Tyson, he’s in the same position ‘Big’ George Foreman was in when he launched a comeback in the late 1980s at the age of 40-years-old.
Tyson had no interest in fighting Foreman because it was a no-win situation for him, so the two never fought. Now it’s Tyson who is in the same position that Foreman found himself in over 30 years ago when he made a comeback in 1989. Unfortunately, Tyson will probably be avoided by the best heavyweights of this era.
Although Foreman did capture a world title at age 45 in beating champion Michael Moorer, he didn’t beat any of the top heavyweights in the sport. During Foreman’s comeback, these were the top heavyweights in the game:
- Evander Holyfield
- Mike Tyson
- Lennox Lewis
- Tommy Morrison
- Ray Mercer
Foreman took on Holyfield and Morrison and lost to both guys. Mike Tyson is a lot faster than the slow, ponderous Foreman was when he came back. Foreman’s weight hovered in the 250s during his comeback.
When he was in his prime, he weighed around 215 pounds. Tyson looks capable of getting his weight down to the 220s if he went through a hard training camp or a comeback, and that would give him a good shot at beating Deontay Wilder or Joshua. Even a fight against Andy Ruiz Jr. would be an exciting one for a fighter like Tyson.
Mares: Tyson BEATS Wilder, Joshua, and Fury
“It just took us back when he was a beast,” said Abner Mares to ESNEW. “The same head movement, and right hand. It was crazy. Oscar is right. This guy [Tyson] when he’s in top shape, he can beat a lot of heavyweights. With that ferocious style, always coming forward, slipping and sliding.
“Once he gets in, that right hand or sneaky uppercut will come in. That video [of Tyson] went viral, not just because he’s Tyson, but because he chilled the mitt work. I would like to see him against Deontay Wilder, and I would like to see him against Anthony Joshua.
“He’s a big man. He’s the man, so he deserves these names. Even Tyson Fury. So, Tyson Fury, Anthony Joshua, and Deontay Wilder,” said Mares when asked who ‘Iron’ Mike Tyson should fight. “He’s my favorite heavyweight, so he beats all of them,” said Mares on him picking Tyson to defeat Wilder, Joshua, and Fury.
Tyson does deserve to get a fight against the likes of Wilder, Joshua, or Fury, but will it happen? ‘Iron Mike’ is training for a charity bout right now. Under a base case scenario, if Tyson looks sensational in winning the charity fight, it might lead to one of the BIG three – Wilder, Joshua, or Fury – taking an interest in facing him.
It would allow them to face a legend, and boxing public a fight that would attract a lot of attention.
Tyson’s skills unmatched
Currently, there’s no one with that kind of hand speed, power, or with the body-punching ability that Tyson exhibited during that clip. Most of the heavyweights in this era are strictly headhunters, and they don’t throw combinations. Tyson Fury, who is viewed as the #1 heavyweight in the division, has little in the way of power, and he wins by using his 6’9″ size to outbox his opponents.
Only rarely does Fury attempt to slug with his opponents, and even then, he doesn’t show the kind of form that ‘Iron’ Mike Tyson has. For example, Tyson’s most effective punches in his recent 7th round knockout victory over former WBC heavyweight champion Deontay Wilder were shots around the back of his head.
While some fans would say that Fury cheated, the referee didn’t penalize him for it, so it was fair game.