Tyson made a stunning return to the ring last November against Jake Paul, but left fans stunned recently after revealing he will be fighting Floyd Mayweather next year
Mike Tyson has been sent a serious health warning ahead of his fight with Floyd Mayweather(Image: Al Bello/Getty Images)
Mike Tyson has been sent a serious health warning ahead of his showdown with Floyd Mayweather.
The former heavyweight king retired from boxing back in 2005 after suffering a gruelling defeat, quitting on the stool against Kevin McBride. ‘Iron’ returned back in 2020, taking on fellow boxing legend Roy Jones Jr in an exhibition clash. In a rather dull and uninspiring fight, fans assumed that would be the last time they would see the legend in the ring.
Many were left stunned when he returned four years later to take on YouTuber-turned-boxer Jake Paul. The pair were due to go head-to-head in July, but Tyson withdrew after suffering an ulcer flare-up on a flight. Instead, the two boxer clashed in November. Tyson was sent various health warnings ahead of his fight. Dr. Nitin K Sethi said the boxing icon was at serious risk of suffering a ‘traumatic brain injury.’
Eventually, Tyson went the distance with Paul and would go on to lose on points. Earlier this month, it was confirmed that Mayweather and Tyson will face off in the ring in 2026. An exact date for the fight has yet to be officially announced, but early reports indicate the legends will meet in the spring in an exhibition bout.
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Once again, as Tyson seemingly gears up for yet another comeback in the ring, the 59-year-old has been sent a serious warning. In an interview with Betway, Nathan Howarth, Development and Operations Director at the Concussion Legacy Foundation, said: “The first reported cases of [chronic traumatic encephalopathy] from boxing go back to the 1930s, and we still see CTE associated with boxing today.
“It’s no secret that there’s an element of neurodegeneration involved. While there’s no definitive measure of what the risks are, someone who is 59 years old is clearly going to have a higher risk based on age alone. That age profile potentially increases the impact of repeated blows. There is also a risk for Floyd Mayweather too who is nearly 50 years old.“
After his fight with Paul last November, Tyson confessed he could not recall most of his fight against the YouTuber-turned-boxer. The 59-year-old revealed his memory of the contest was virtually non-existent beyond the opening three minutes. “I don’t remember the fight that much, I kind of blanked out,” he told Fox Sports Radio. “I haven’t watched the fight. You know what I remember… coming back from the first round and Jake was doing some sort of bow… that’s the last thing I remember.” He continued: “I wasn’t tired, I wasn’t sweaty. I went to the house we were staying in, I left the house with my wife and kids, went to the after-party then went back.”
Howarth believes that the age disparity between Tyson and Mayweather could put the 59-year-old at further risk due to slower reaction times. He continued: “Your brain changes with age in terms of neurochemistry and neurobiology, particularly in how it recovers from these types of events. Also, the preparation involved in a fight — especially at that age — could have an impact. The age disparity may put him at further risk due to slower reaction times, something that naturally decreases with age, but could be worsened by a long history of head impacts.
“We know that as people get older, the brain’s ability to recover decreases. More research is still needed to quantify the actual risks, but again, for someone older — especially someone already exposed to years of head trauma — those risks could be compounded.”
He concluded: “Concussions, as brain injuries, are unique to each individual and to each incident. It would be difficult to say definitively whether it would last longer because of his age, but it’s potentially more likely, or could be more severe, because of his age. On the other hand, he might experience a concussion and recover completely — but may not realize the longer-term effects of subclinical impacts and the damage they might cause. People involved in boxing need to be aware of these risks. And for someone who is almost 60, it’s hard to imagine that boxing will have a positive effect on brain health — regardless of whether a concussion resolves within the standard 21-day window for return to sport. Even then, there may still be lasting consequences.”
When is the next boxing event?
Ben Crocker and Sean McComb are set to go head-to-head on Saturday, September 27 in Sheffield. The main card is set to get underway at around 6pm UK time (1pm ET / 10am PT / 12pm CT).
In the main event, McComb will make the walk to the ring first at around 10pm UK time (5pm ET / 3pm PT / 5pm CT) with Crocker set to follow immediately after. Fans will be able to watch all of the action live on DAZN and will be shown in over 200 countries via a DAZN subscription.