Two of boxing’s most iconic names, Mike Tyson and Floyd Mayweather, are set to share the ring in an exhibition contest scheduled for next year. The bout, to be promoted by CSI Sports/Fight Sports, is expected to be one of the most talked-about events in modern boxing, though details such as date, venue, broadcast partners, and specific rules are yet to be confirmed.
Tyson, now 59, rose to global fame as the undisputed heavyweight champion and remains one of the sport’s most feared punchers. He retired in 2005 before making a sensational return last November in a controversial exhibition loss to Jake Paul. Over his professional career, Tyson recorded 50 wins from 59 fights, all at heavyweight.
Mayweather, at 48, remains unbeaten across his professional career with a record of 50-0, collecting titles in five weight divisions and widely considered one of the most defensively gifted fighters in history. Since retiring in 2017, he has featured in a series of high-profile exhibitions, most recently against John Gotti III in August last year.
For Tyson, the matchup is unlike anything he imagined:
“This fight is something neither the world nor I ever thought would or could happen. However, boxing has entered a new era of the unpredictable and this fight is as unpredictable as it gets,” Tyson said.
Mayweather, meanwhile, promised fans a spectacle:
“You already know that if I am going to do something, it’s going to be big and it’s going to be legendary. I’m the best in the business of boxing. This exhibition will give the fans what they want.”
As with most exhibition contests, the bout is not expected to produce an official winner, nor will the result affect either fighter’s record. Still, the sheer novelty of seeing two legends from different eras and weight classes collide makes this one of the most highly anticipated events in the sport’s recent history.
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