Mike Tyson’s Last Pro Fight Ended With him Apologising to Fans

At 58-years-old, Mike Tyson is about to step into the boxing ring again. His unlikely comeback sees him take on social media sensation Jake Paul in a controversial clash at AT&T Stadium on Friday evening.

‘Iron’ Mike last appeared in the ring during a November 2020 exhibition clash with Roy Jones Junior. The meeting of two legendary fighters took place at a virtually-empty Staples Center in Los Angeles due to COVID-19 restrictions. No official winner was announced on the night, either. Essentially, the contest was an entertaining piece of nostalgia, which saw both men leave the ring with smiles on their faces.

His upcoming fight with Paul, though, is no exhibition. It will take place over the same eight, two-minute rounds as Tyson vs Jones Jr, but differs in that it is a full professional bout – with knockouts allowed.

Mike Tyson’s Last Professional Fight Ended in Heart-Wrenching Fashion

Heavyweight legend was stopped in brutal style by journeyman Kevin McBride

Although Tyson’s most-recent exhibition was an overwhelmingly positive experience, the same can’t be said for the last time he was in the ring as a professional. The New York-born slugger was 38 years old when he took on journeyman Kevin McBride in June 2005.

The former world heavyweight champion was well past his prime at the time, but was still expected to find his way past McBride. A capacity crowd in Washington DC desperately wanted to see Tyson be the wrecking machine he had been in his youth, but it simply wasn’t to be.

Tyson ended up losing the fight on a technical knockout after being unable to answer the bell for the start of round seven. He was actually leading on the judges’ scorecards at the time. However, he simply couldn’t summon the energy or the will to continue. In the previous round, he had been deducted two points for headbutting McBride. The session ended with the Irishman pushing Tyson to the canvas, where he remained until the bell rang. He was so exhausted that he could barely stand – and the fight was called off shortly afterwards.

Speaking after the fight, Tyson apologised to fans who had paid to see him, admitting in brutal fashion that his heart wasn’t in the game any longer.

If Tyson had lost his love of the sport 19 years ago, he appears to have rediscovered it ahead of his showdown with Paul. The comparison between his physique for the McBride fight and that which he sported at Thursday’s weigh-in proves just how hard he has been working in the gym for his return to the professional ranks.

Per BBC Sport, Tyson was paid just $2.75 million to fight McBride. He will make more than seven times that figure when he trades blows with Paul in a bout that will be beamed worldwide on Netflix.

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In an ironic twist of fate, Paul fought on the undercard of the Tyson vs Jones Jr exhibition clash, knocking out former NBA player Nate Robinson in his second fight. Commenting on the growth of ‘The Problem Child’ within the sport, Tyson was full of praise for his upcoming opponent.

Speaking ahead of the fight, he declared: “He [Paul] has grown significantly as a boxer over the years, so it will be fun to see what the will and ambition of a kid can do with the experience and aptitude of a GOAT. It’s a full circle moment that will be beyond thrilling to watch!”

While Tyson has been absent from the professional ranks for close to two decades, Paul will be fighting for the third time this year, having already won against Ryan Bourland and Mike Perry by stoppage. If he were to beat Tyson, though, it would go down as the biggest win of his career, regardless of the fact that the veteran is closing in on his 60th birthday.

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