A thrilling exhibition bout between Tyson Fury and Mike Tyson was seemingly on the cards before it fell through due to financial disagreements.
‘The Gypsy King’ stated that at one point, talks for a face-off with Iron Mike seemed promising. However, negotiations flopped after a whopping $500million (£385m) deal couldn’t be reached.
Interestingly, Fury – who was christened after the boxing legend by his dad John – was peaking in his career following his victory over Deontay Wilder when the prospect emerged. Speaking about the potential clash, Fury, now aged 36, expressed his excitement and esteem for the legendary fighter, who influenced his own journey in the sport significantly.
“I did get a phone call with a chance to fight Mike Tyson,” Fury recollected during a chat with BT Sport back in 2020. He said, “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!'”
Despite the buzz, the match never materialised, and Mike Tyson instead stepped into the ring against the iconic Roy Jones Jr for an exhibition in November 2020. Fast-forwarding to the present, the 58-year-old is expected to end his retirement once more as he gears up for a match against Jake Paul scheduled for eight two-minute rounds on November 15, reports the Mirror.
(Image: tysonfury/Instagram)
Speaking to iFL TV back in October, Fury again spilled the beans on why a fight with Tyson never happened, and it boiled down to money matters: “There was talk of it. His people contacted me. Mike and I had a phone call. It was all real but never materialised.”
“Whoever was offering the comeback money to Mike offered us peanuts. Mike was talking about $500m figures [half a billion], but what came back to us on paper was a joke. It was crazy. I did have a $10m offer from ESPN to do the fight as an exhibition, but I think everyone has moved on now.”
While Tyson’s upcoming bout with YouTube sensation Paul is generating interest, the idea of a face-off between two Tysons, each a heavyweight titan in their time, would have been something else. The chance to witness champions from different eras clash is rare, particularly when The Gypsy King was still unbeaten as the rumours swirled.
Many believe Tyson’s next fight could be his last, with retirement on the cards after his showdown with Paul. Yet, the powerhouse American hasn’t dismissed continuing in the ring, with potential paths including bouts with current top heavyweights or rematches with past adversaries.