Boxing heavyweight legend ‘Iron’ Mike Tyson has named three opponents he wants to go toe-to-toe with in the near-future.
Following Mike Tyson’s return to boxing in his exhibition bout with Roy Jones Jr., Iron Mike is now ready to step between the ropes at least a few more times before hanging up his gloves once again.
Whilst as a guest on the Hotboxin’ podcast, Tyson named three boxers – from both past & present – that he wants to have an exhibition fight with. The heavyweight also added that they will take place in 2021, so boxing fans all over the world could be about to see three Mike Tyson fights in the next 12 months.
Evander Holyfield Trilogy
Tyson and Holyfield had two incredible battles in 1996 & 1997, with the second of the two being the infamous ‘Bite Match’. In the first clash, Holyfield shocked the world with an upset KO victory over Tyson.
For the second bout, we all know the story – Tyson took a chunk out of his opponent’s ear during the fight, ending the contest with a disqualification. It’s arguably one of the most famous moments in boxing history.
Despite Tyson naming a date for the trilogy bout as May 29, that now looks set to be rescheduled, with Holyfield announcing an exhibition bout on June 5 with Tyson’s last professional opponent in 2005, Kevin McBride.
Lennox Lewis Rematch On The Cards
On the podcast, Tyson said: “I want Holyfield and I want Lennox Lewis this year. I want both of them, and I want to get both of them this year. “If I do that – even if I can get those two guys, I’ll say ‘that’s a wrap, I’m just going to live life’”.
Tyson and Lewis met five years after the ‘Bite Match’, with Lewis knocking out Tyson in the eighth round of the bout. Now, it looks like Tyson wants to have another opportunity to box with the British heavyweight in a ring.
Unlike Tyson and Holyfield, Lewis has not had an exhibition bout as of yet, and only time will tell whether he accepts the offer to step in a boxing ring again, or if his gloves stay firmly hung up.
Tyson Fury Exhibition: Tyson vs. Tyson
They weren’t the only two names Tyson spoke about on the podcast – current WBC world heavyweight champion Tyson Fury got a mention as part of Iron Mike’s hit-list.
“I also want to box an exhibition with Tyson Fury”, Tyson added. It’s well-known that the ‘Gypsy King’ was named after Tyson, and have built a friendship over recent years.
It’s also not the first time this possible fight has been mentioned, with Fury saying in an interview in May 2020 that there was potential for an exhibition fight involving the pair. Speaking to BT Sport, Fury said: “I did get a phone call with a chance to fight Mike Tyson. I was like ‘What?’
“Yeah, I had a phone call saying, ‘would you like to fight Mike Tyson in an exhibition fight?’ I was like ‘Hell yeah!’. But, I don’t think anything’s materialised out of it to be honest”.
Since, Iron Mike has discussed this option and is clearly a fan of the possible exhibition, so there is a possibility that the two camps could work something out in the future.
