It makes no difference if the men share fifty million dollars for their carnival night in a Texas ring. It is one of the purest fights for money in the dirty, old boxing game; it’s not personal, it’s just cash. And, lots of it. Tyson is 58 now, reformed, grey at the edges, his eyes have softened with his belly and each attempt at spitting venom sounds fake. Well, it probably is, so what? He was once Iron Mike, the youngest heavyweight champion in history, so please show some respect.
Paul, in his own unique way, has single-handedly ruined the boxing careers of many UFC stars and exposed them inside the boxing ring as flat-footed swingers; now the former child performer is hunting down faded kings of the ring. It is the unmade Rocky movie with a twist: can the old king beat the young kid? It’s the age-old boxing tale.
It has, obviously, been called a freak show, a meaningless event, a danger to Tyson’s health and a threat to the dignity of boxing, having been rearranged after Tyson suffered a health scare. Spare me the platitudes: it’s nothing more sinister than a cash exercise and there is no chance of Tyson getting hurt. The referee, his corner or the boxer will stop the fight – because of exhaustion – before Paul’s fists inside the 14oz gloves can hurt the faded icon. There is always a chance that Tyson lands and Paul is left sleeping; he would become the 45th man in 51 wins that Tyson has stopped or knocked out.
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