Mike Tyson looked farcical inside the boxing ring

What prompted Mike Tyson to take to the ring, nobody knows. For all those who watched in full, or clips -- live or online -- the former heavyweight champion take on Jake Paul in a mismatch on Friday night in Arlington, Texas, made for pathetic viewing. Millions of fans have known Tyson the champion and Tyson the controversial figure during his hey days. His return to an arena he once ruled at the age of 58 was bizarre. Was it an inner drive or a PR stunt he was attempting, Mike Tyson looked old haggard and a pale shadow of someone who used to be destructive when he won titles galore from 1987 to 1990. During his peak, Iron Mike, was he was popularly known, would demolish the field with his ruthlessness. And to have won the WBA, WBC and IBF titles, he a unique former champion.

This fight against Paul was sanctioned by the Texas department of licensing and regulation. The whole set of rules and regulations in it were itself a bit of a joke. Each round was of two minutes, and each pugilist was wearing 14 ounce gloves instead of the 10 ounce gloves. This is not the usual stuff in heavyweight bouts. Obviously, people think Mike Tyson is still a draw, and this bout was scheduled first for July 2024. Tyson had landed up with gut complications on a flight after which he developed ulcers. So, the bout was postponed to November.

For those who watched the bout scoring and technical details, Tyson made for bad viewing. A contest between someone at 58 against another at 27 made no sense. Yet, this was a fight given an official nod. Social media, too, got involved in this bout for the ages, as Tyson has such a massive reputation. Not only was he sluggish on his feet, he could barely connect the punches. It was more like watching an old Mike Tyson in slow motion. These eight rounds were boring, for the result was well known. Mike had no chance and just hung in. There was a nagging suspicion, Jake Paul was kind to him, if not, Iron Mike would have needed medical help. But it worked as a gimmick for sure. Everyone knows, boxers are not supposed to be competing at this late age, given the health hazards. Mike Tyson did, because he has always been a maverick of sorts.

This was a prime-time bout but Tyson was past prime. If, for sheer emotions, people watched the return of Tyson to the ring, it could not be justified. For him to land just four punches in two minutes in the first round was miserable. As the contest progressed, Jake Paul was getting more dominant, he was throwing almost triple that count at Mike Tyson. The worst was, in two rounds, the fourth and sixth, Iron Mike landed no punch at all. He lacked energy and there was no purpose in his attempt at taking on someone who was far too superior. One would imagine, Mike Tyson would say enough is enough and this was his last fight. No, he wants to try again. For what, nobody knows.

And the biggest secret was let out after the bout, when Jake Paul was interviewed. He had seen Tyson was tired and did not want to hurt him. “I wanted to give the fans a show but I didn’t want to hurt someone that didn’t need to be hurt,” said Paul. Tyson with a support brace on his right knee and just putting on a sham act for 16 minutes came in for flak from the audience. There was booing. Those who watched online were left frustrated.

Such kind of comic stuff goes on in MMA, WWE and a few more events for sure. Why and how this Mike Tyson thing was allowed is a joke. Never take the fans for granted, not even those who have seen Iron Mike at his prime. If he did this for money, it’s crazy. Nobody wants to see a former big champion fooling around in a boxing ring. It could have been dangerous.