The Revival Of Mike Tyson
Not too long ago, Mike Tyson‘s life appeared to be completely derailed. His financial issues compounded by his self-destruction in the boxing ring made it seem like he was headed for disaster. It appears Tyson exercised his past demons on last year’s critically-acclaimed documentary Tyson, and has managed to move forward and get his life back in order. Sure, he may not ever return to a boxing ring. But the former heavyweight champion has found other ways to remain in the public eye and seek financial opportunities outside of trying to knock somebody’s block off in the boxing ring.
Even though he mentioned he was “totally broke” during an appearance on The View earlier this year, Tyson appears to have found happiness with his new wife and new life. He’s appeared on WWE Raw and the blockbuster film The Hangover and seems to be comfortable with his current life outside of the insane spotlight it commanded over a decade ago. This week, Tyson will appear on Spike TV’s The Ultimate Fighter TV series. A longtime fan of the UFC, Tyson recently spoke on James Toney‘s failed attempt to making the jump from boxing to mixed martial arts in an article featured on ESPN.
“You have to admit, Toney looked horrible,” Tyson said. “He looked slow. He didn’t look like a seasoned, conditioned athlete. You only had to look at his body structure. No way, Toney didn’t get ready to fight a real, professional athlete like Randy is. It was ridiculous. He had no respect for Randy.”
Yet Tyson also believes a boxer could thrive in MMA with the proper training. He thinks a boxer’s mental attitude and conditioning would be just as important as his martial arts skills in conquering the cage.
“I know 100 percent that a boxer [could win],” Tyson said. “As long as he learns how to grapple and wrestle, he could do great. You’ve got to go in there respecting the sport, and not just thinking you’re going to knock somebody out every time. It’s a complicated sport, but a good boxer has to be a great athlete anyway.”
Those hoping for a Tyson return, don’t hold your breath. Tyson has absolutely no plans to return to the ring or fight in the UFC. Instead, “Iron” Mike would rather show off his moves in a remake of Bobby Brown‘s “Every Little Step” featuring Wayne Brady as Bobby Brown. It sure is good to see Tyson happy again.
Tyson would have a change in the UFC, if he trained for it. Would need to fight some softies first. He has the perfect build, short and stocky. Would be hard to get on the ground.