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Mike Tyson. (Photo by James Gilbert / Getty Images)
Mike tyson says he never imagined as a heavyweight boxing champion that he would step into the ring with Roy Jones Jr. at 54 as he does on Saturday.
Fifteen years after retiring with a 2005 loss to officer Kevin McBride, Tyson is back after losing 100 pounds and returning to training.
“I didn’t think I would live that long. It was so intense,” Tyson said Friday at a news conference ahead of the eight-round fight in Los Angeles.
“Just existing is a success.”
Tyson said his hunger has returned 15 years after finishing his degree.
“I don’t know who I was then. I feel very comfortable with who I am now,” Tyson said. “My last fight, I had no interest in it. I’m interested now.”
Tyson, 50-6 with 44 knockouts, plans to take the fight to Jones, 51, 66-9 with 47 knockouts, early on.
“I’m going to go straight to him when the bell rings and see what happens,” Tyson said. “It’s going to be entertaining. He’s a fighter. I’m a fighter. We’re there throwing punches. Anything can happen.”
Jones, whose last fight was a cruiserweight win in 2018, plans to take time to determine how much of “Iron Mike” is left in Tyson.
“I want to get out early, figure out how to attack him. He’s very dangerous when he’s at his distance,” Jones said.
“He knows my combinations, but not speed or velocity. He won’t know how I’m throwing them.
“We both want to hit each other.”
When asked how hard he could hit, Tyson replied “Let’s see” and said he’s ready to adapt if Jones attacks quickly. “I’m going to Plan B, hit him back.”
Tyson ruled the heavyweight division in the late 1980s and struggled through the 1990s after a shocking loss to Buster Douglas, a rape conviction, and two losses to Evander Holyfield that included biting off a piece of his ear. rival.
“I’m fighting like everyone else,” Tyson said. “I am learning from the mistakes of life.”
Tyson lost his last world title fight to Lennox Lewis in 2002 and disappeared from the scene before the desire to get back in shape became more.
“If I didn’t have the same dedication, I wouldn’t have lost weight,” Tyson said. “You don’t bring age to the table. You bring your energy.
“It’s amazing that I can still do this.”
His “100-pound process” started with 15 minutes a day on a treadmill that turned into two hours and took him to hitting gloves and training sessions.
“The first day was disastrous.” Tyson said, but found that while he was “getting beaten up” he realized, “I belong here.”
“To some extent, it tells me that I’m a fool,” Tyson said. “The other side tells me I can do it.
“I will never call another fighter a bum again. The process of getting in shape to fight someone is psychologically overwhelming if you are not a boxer.
“This is fun. Right now. Everything else I’ve been through is hell.”
Tyson finds himself a family man who has a place in life for boxing, not a fighter whose life revolves around battles as before.
“This is a part of my life that I threw away. It doesn’t have the appeal it once did,” Tyson said.
“Time makes you feel humble. You want to see your children grow up. I want to get involved with my friends and my family.”
This is why he hopes hosting adult athlete events will have a feature with his Legends Only League.
“God willing, the sky is the limit,” he said.
Jones has more modest goals, including a fight with Brazilian mixed martial arts star Anderson Silva, 45.
“If this goes well, I’m pretty sure it will be next,” Jones said. “A success would be to look good, not be caught without anything stupid. A success would be me being me.”
Jones surprised himself at how ready he is to fight.
“I can’t believe I can keep my speed at 51. It amazes me. It’s the craziest thing,” Jones said. “The aches and pains are there. You have to have the mental strength to overcome adversity.”
