Heavyweight legend, Mike Tyson, has still got it at the age of 56 – 17 years after he hung up his professional gloves for good.
‘Iron’ Mike holds the record as the youngest boxer ever to win a heavyweight title, and is remembered in the sport for his aggressive, ruthless, and intimidating style. Despite mostly earning a living from podcasting and punditry now, it’s good to see that he still likes to a bit of pad work in the gym.
The boxing hall-of-famer posted a clip of himself in the ring recently, and it appears that he hasn’t lost his come-forward, ferocious technique. It’s training that would have any heavyweight, past or present, working extra hard.
The former champ looks in unbelievable shape for his age, and the guts on his pad man must be commended – not many people can say they survived ‘Iron’ Mike in the ring. It’s not entirely clear when the clip was filmed given that the icon was pictured in a wheelchair not long ago, although he attributed that to a flare-up of his sciatica – a condition that causes severe pain around the lower back.
Tyson stopped his first 19 opponents inside the distance and went on to become one of the most notorious heavyweights in the sport’s history. His influence is still around today, too – the current WBC Champion was named after him.
“The Baddest Man On The Planet” returned for an exhibition bout against fellow-great, Roy Jones Jr, in November of 2020. Billed as Lockdown Knockdown, the pair fought to a split draw, and the reaction was mainly positive – an exhibition done right, with fairly-matched fighters who knew the sport and understood the dangers.
Having said that, boxing fans will be content with Tyson posting a few of these clips every now and then, for any serious return to the ring would surely be a threat to his legacy.