Mike Tyson‘s dramatic arrival at Benghazi’s Martyrs of Benina Stadium on Friday sparked a wave of online concern, as fans feared the boxing legend was preparing for an unexpected comeback.
The 59-year-old emerged from the tunnel to the pounding beat of DMX’s Intro, walking toward the ring with the same imposing presence that once defined his reign as heavyweight champion.
Yet because of his senior age, when DAZN posted “Here comes Iron Mike“, spread rapidly across social media, and for a few tense minutes, many believed the ageing fighter was about to fight again.
What they didn’t know was that the former champion was simply taking his seat to watch the interim WBA featherweight title bout between Mirco Cuello and Sergio Rios Jimenez.
Whilst fans would have once sold their houses to watch the legendary fighter take to the ring, now it’s a different attitude as they find themselves begging him to stay away to protect his long-term health – especially after his defeat to Jake Paul.
Anthony Taylor, a fellow pro boxer, wrote via social media, “Protect him at all cost…”
Whilst a second added, “Gosh I thought he was fighting then, thank goodness he’s not.”
And a third wrote, “Our Legend is getting old. Love you Mike.”
Tyson has not fought since his 2024 professional exhibition against Paul, a night that went the distance but revealed the inevitable effects of time as he found himself unable to match the tempo of the then-27-year-old.
Though still displaying flashes of skill, he was unable to sustain offense, and the performance left many urging him to retire for good. So that memory fuelled the panic when he appeared so close to the ropes in Libya.
Boxing’s history is filled with comebacks, but for many, the thought of Tyson enduring more punishment at his age was deeply unsettling. Fans will remember what happened to Muhammad Ali in 1980.
Mike Tyson in Libya: Mirco Cuello stops Sergio Rios to win interim title
While Tyson‘s entrance dominated headlines, the night’s competitive drama belonged to Mirco Cuello (16-0, 13 KOs), who claimed the interim WBA featherweight title with a commanding second-round stoppage of Sergio Rios (19-1, 7 KOs).
Cuello dropped Rios once in the opening round and twice more in the second, forcing a halt to the contest to set up a potential meeting with the reigning champion, Nick Ball of the UK.
Ball is due to fight Sam Goodman on August 16, 2025, in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia – a fight to be broadcast on DAZN PPV in the United States for fans hoping to get a look of the potential type of fight between Ball and Cuello.
Ultimately for Tyson, the night made it clear that fans don’t want to see him lace up his gloves again, but that doesn’t mean his legacy has taken a hit as Iron Mike still reigns supreme.
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