The madness rolled through an anonymous breakfast bar in Arlington, just outside Dallas, soon after six o'clock on Tuesday morning. Sleepy diners gazed at a bank of television screens which had lit up with images of two contrasting men on the early morning NBC news. In front of them a suave anchorman promised that tomorrow night's manufactured scrap in north Texas between "the 58-year-old boxing icon Iron Mike Tyson and the Problem Child, Jake Paul," will transport us "back to the glory days of boxing".
As if we needed any more convincing the screen then filled with the scraggly bearded face of Paul, "the 27-year-old YouTube sensation", who praised the owners of the Dallas Cowboys for sharing his vision of staging "the biggest fight in the history of boxing" at their AT&T Stadium just 10 miles down the road from where we sat drinking our lukewarm coffee.
We did not hear the ghosts of Jack Johnson, Joe Louis, Sonny Liston and Muhammad Ali howling in agony. Instead, if they had been forced to hear the blabbering inanity of the world in 2024, they might have laughed.
Twelve hours later, at the Toyota Music Factory in Irving, a 20-minute drive from Arlington, Tyson and Paul staged a public workout to kickstart this surreal fight week which will culminate in fisticuffs on Netflix. Tyson was said to be "ferocious" as he backed his cornerman against the ropes. The trainer wore a body protector which absorbed the blows while Tyson showed decent head movement as he threw some relatively fast combinations. But it's easy for a former world champion when no one is punching back.
Denne historien er fra November 14, 2024-utgaven av The Guardian.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent ? Logg på
Denne historien er fra November 14, 2024-utgaven av The Guardian.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent? Logg på
Frozen pensions War Veteran says she lost out on £50,000
Anne Puckridge is travelling 4,400 miles on a mission to persuade the government to right a 'cruel' pensions policy, as Rupert Jones reports
Money hacks How to buy preloved items to give as Christmas gifts
Buying preloved often requires more thought and preparation than buying new, so make time to find the perfect gift.
The Filter Best robot vacuums to keep your home clean and dust free
Stuart Andrews trialled the most powerful robot vacuums - some of which even mop your floors - and these are the ones he rates
Checkatrade How do rogue traders get past its checks?
The site says its tradespeople are 'guaranteed', but some customers say they have lost thousands after using it. Anna Tims reports
End of road Vauxhall workers in shock over plant closure
\"I don't have anything good to say about this place right now,\" someone shouts, as workers flood out of the front gates of the Vauxhall van plant on Luton's Kimpton Road.
Hybrid car sales could be permitted until 2035 to ease all-electric transition
Car manufacturers may be allowed to sell Toyota Prius-style hybrid models in the UK until 2035, as the government looks at ways to loosen electric vehicle sales rules.
Royal Mail falling further behind with delivery targets
Royal Mail has failed to deliver about a quarter of first-class post on time in recent months as its delivery performance continues to decline amid an investigation for missing its targets.
'Dirty money' Why people of all ages are investing in crypto
Miles, a 37-year-old NHS doctor from London, has been trying for years to persuade friends to buy cryptocurrencies.
Work Minister's plan to transform the job market
\"This is why I love jobcentres: because they're intensely hopeful places.\" The employment minister, Alison McGovern, has spent half an hour perched on a desk in an office block in Hoxton, east London, hearing from a group of job coaches.
Shoppers bag Black Friday gifts online but in-store sales lag
UK shoppers visited websites in droves to snap up Black Friday bargains, raising hopes the US-inspired promotional day would finally kick-start a festive spending spree.
