Legendary Promoter Don King Supports Mike Tyson’s Return to Boxing at Age 58

The former long-time promoter of boxer Mike Tyson, Don King, said he is “excited” to see the former heavyweight champion return to the ring to challenge YouTuber Jake Paul nearly 19 years after his last professional fight.Mr. King, who turns 94 on Tuesday, was Mr. Tyson’s promoter during many of his most memorable bouts in the 1990s, including against Michael Spinks, James “Buster” Douglas, Peter McNeeley, and two bouts with Evander Holyfield. The two often had a contentious relationship, with Mr. Tyson suing the spiked-hair promoter for $100 million in 1998, claiming a “pattern of fraudulent conduct.” The case was settled out of court for a reported $14 million and the two have been friendly since then.“It’s going to be informative for all of us,” Mr. King told the Sun. “Mike is Mike and he’s my guy. He sometimes acts like we’ve been enemies, but I can never find fault with a man who made me as much money as he made me giving the exciting performances he gave to the people. That’s what was most important to me, giving the people what they want.”Mr. Tyson, 58, and Mr. Paul, 27, are scheduled to fight a professional bout with eight two-minute rounds on November 15 at AT&T Stadium at Arlington, Texas. Tickets are on sale at Seatgeek.com, and the fight will stream live exclusively on Netflix.Mr. Tyson, who became the youngest heavyweight champion at age 21, hasn’t fought since 2005, when he lost to unheralded Kevin McBride. Mr. Tyson lost three of his last four bouts over three years before announcing his retirement with a record of 50-6 with 44 knockouts.Still actively promoting bouts mainly in South Florida, Mr. King is intrigued by Mr. Tyson fighting Mr. Paul, even if the only reason is to make money. “I’m proud of him for being who he is coming from the ghetto and going from the streets to the suites,” Mr. King said. “He was able to deal with what is real. No matter what people say or do he continues to perform. Everything he does is making money.”Mr. Paul (10-1 as a boxer) leveraged his popularity as a YouTube influencer to launch a boxing career that has seen him box mixed-martial artists and a former pro basketball player, Nate Robinson. He and Mr. Tyson were originally scheduled to fight in July but Mr. Tyson became ill on a flight to Miami from Los Angeles. Doctors discovered he was suffering from an ulcer, forcing the postponement of the fight.During a press conference Sunday at New York, Mr. Tyson pronounced himself healthy and ready for his return to the ring. “I had a small adversity,” he said. “But I feel good. I’m ready. I’m going to talk my talk and I’m going to talk my [stuff] but I’m ready to fight.”Mr. Tyson was asked why he was stepping back into the ring after nearly two decades. “That’s a funny question,” he responded. “Because I can. Who else can do it, but me? Just look at it. Who else is going to fight and make an event of this magnitude happen?”Mr. Tyson displayed some of the bravado that earned him the nickname “The Baddest Man on the Planet” during his prime. He shoved Mr. Paul during their face-off and guaranteed a victory, adding, “Jake Paul is going to be running around, but as soon as I catch this guy, it’s going to be totally over.”Mr. Tyson has stayed busy during his retirement, writing an autobiography, appearing in movies, and making personal appearances at boxing and corporate events. He remains one of the most popular fighters ever, even among young YouTubers. Mr. Paul hopes beating Mr. Tyson, 31 years his senior, will give him more credibility in the boxing world.“I’m still on the path to become a world champion,” Mr. Paul said. “There’s a lot of big names that want to fight me. I still want Canelo Alvarez and I want to go on the path to a world championship. That’s what I’m here to do, and I will make that happen. When it happens, people are going to go, ‘Damn that kid did something we didn’t.”An ardent supporter of President Trump, Mr. King said he’ll try to watch the bout and is confident Mr. Tyson will prove doubters wrong. “He has overcome a lot of struggles in his life,” Mr. King said. “Things that would cause an ordinary person to throw in the towel and say, ‘I quit.’ But not Mike. He’s going on forever more. I’m just as proud of him as I can be.”

Legendary Promoter Don King Supports Mike Tyson’s Return to Boxing at Age 58

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