Mike Tyson might not be lacing up the gloves again, but the boxing legend isn’t straying far from the ring. Just months after a highly publicized-and contentious-fight against Jake Paul, Tyson is officially making a comeback of a different kind.
Despite suggesting in a recent interview with Men’s Health that he was retired-saying, “the only person I’m fighting now is my accountant”-the former heavyweight champion is stepping back into the world of boxing.
Tyson, 58, will serve as a guest analyst for the Fatal Fury: City of the Wolves card in Times Square this Friday.
“Can’t wait! I’ll be there in Times Square as guest analyst,” Tyson announced, replying to a promotional video for the event.
Tyson joins star-studded boxing night in New York
The four-fight card he’ll be covering is packed with big names. Ryan Garcia is set to face off against Rolly Romero, while Devin Haney squares up with Jose Ramirez. Also on the bill, Teofimo Lopez will defend his WBO super lightweight title against Arnold Barboza Jr., and Japan’s rising star Reito Tsutsumi will make his professional debut against Levale Whittington.
Tyson’s return to the sport-even just behind the microphone-comes not long after his exhibition fight against Jake Paul last November. Although he managed to go the distance in their Texas matchup,
Tyson clearly wasn’t at his peak. Paul later admitted, “After I’d seen him tired I didn’t want to put too much hurt on him, but I wanted the fans to get a good experience. But there was a point where my aggression and violence went away when I wasn’t getting hit. I love Mike.”
Reports indicate Paul earned approximately $40 million (£32 million) for the fight, while Tyson took home around $20 million (£16 million). The event drew staggering viewership numbers, with MVP Promotions reporting an average of 60 million households tuning in live and peaking at 65 million.
Notably, the fight itself was a rollercoaster even before the first bell. Originally scheduled for June, it was postponed after Tyson suffered a terrifying ulcer flare-up mid-flight, an ordeal he later revealed almost cost him his life. “I nearly died,” Tyson said, recalling how he needed eight blood transfusions to recover.
While Tyson‘s competitive days are truly behind him now, his latest analyst gig proves he still has an active role in the boxing world.
Meanwhile, Jake Paul is already preparing for his next challenge, reportedly set to take on Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. at cruiserweight later this year.
Chavez Jr., the son of Mexican boxing icon Julio Cesar Chavez Sr., boasts a past as a middleweight champion in 2011 and 2012. Despite a promising start-46-0-1 by 2012-his career faltered with six losses in his next 14 bouts. He has faced boxing greats like Canelo Alvarez and Sergio Martinez but also suffered an embarrassing defeat to former UFC star Anderson Silva in 2021.
Chavez Jr. recently returned to winning ways, beating Uriah Hall on a Jake Paul undercard in 2024, while Paul secured a TKO victory over Mike Perry that same night as a tune-up for his clash with Tyson.
Although Tyson has hung up the gloves for good, fans can still expect to hear his larger-than-life voice guiding them through Friday’s high-profile fights-and for many, that’s almost as good as seeing him in action.
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