Mike Tyson return: Possible opponents if 'The Baddest Man on the Planet' does return to boxing in 2020

Tony Mogan12 May 2020

Mike Tyson continues to tease the possibility of a return to boxing in what would one of the most sensational sporting stories of the year.

‘Iron Mike’ last fought in the ring 15 years ago but at 53, has opened the door to a return to compete in exhibition bouts for charity.

The youngest heavyweight champion in history has shared ferocious training videos in recent weeks that show he still possesses some of the power and speed that once made him the most feared fighter on the planet.

Standard Sport consider some of the possible candidates if 'The Baddest Man on the Planet' does indeed return.

Evander Holyfield

The obvious choice? Weeks following Tyson’s first return hint, Holyfield, who only hung up his gloves in 2011, announced his intention to fight again to support Unite4OurFight, a charity devoted to providing social and emotional support during the Covid-19 pandemic.

Tyson infamously bit Holyfield in 1997.
AFP via Getty Images

Tyson and Holyfield shared perhaps the most extraordinary moment in the history of the sport - with the former famously biting off part of his opponent’s ear in their second meeting in 1997.

So what about a third meeting? Holyfield hasn’t ruled it out. He told Sky Sports News: "I don't know, you would have to ask him! I wouldn't ask nobody to do anything they don't want to do. But it's for charity.

"If we can work something out that works for everybody then it's a win-win-win."

James Toney

Former world champion Toney, 51, has also joined the party. The three weight-world champion only called time on a career than spanned four decades in 2017, but is willing to lace up the gloves one more time if Holyfield or Tyson are game.

Toney and Holyfield fought in 2003.
Getty Images

“To all those bringing up my name in these exhibition fights… count me in," Toney said.

“If they want to do it, give me a call. I ain’t going nowhere.”

John Fury

Tyson's father has been formidable presence during the 'Gypsy King's return to the summit of the sport.

John, a former bare-knuckle fighter who boxed professionally from 1987-95, finishing with a record of 8-4-1, made headlines last month after declaring his intention to fight ex-bodybuilder Micky Theo in a charity fight following a heated war of words on social media.

Fury Snr also wants the fight Tyson.
Getty Images

But after hearing that Tyson - whom he named his son after 31 years ago - is considering a return, he has placed that fight at the top of his list.

"I'm looking at fighting Mike Tyson, how's that?," Fury said in a fiery social media video.

"Mike's making a comeback. "I don't value my life to 50 pence but let me tell you something, Mike Tyson is worth doing charity with.

"He's a proper king and a champion. He's a proper man, tried and tested."

Create a FREE account to continue reading

eros

Registration is a free and easy way to support our journalism.

Join our community where you can: comment on stories; sign up to newsletters; enter competitions and access content on our app.

Your email address

Must be at least 6 characters, include an upper and lower case character and a number

You must be at least 18 years old to create an account

* Required fields

Already have an account? SIGN IN

By clicking Create Account you confirm that your data has been entered correctly and you have read and agree to our Terms of use , Cookie policy and Privacy policy .

This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.

Thank you for registering

Please refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged in