The PAC Perspective by Ted Flint
As I watched Mike Tyson tarnish his image (hopefully, not irreparably) in his loss to YouTuber Jake Paul, all I felt was sadness. How had it come to this? One of the greatest heavyweight champions of all time and the self-proclaimed “Baddest Man on the Planet,” succumbing to a pretender, a Johnny-come- lately such as Paul?
Luckily for Paul, it’s not 1987, or he would have suffered the same fate as Marvis Frazier, or Pinklon Thomas or the dozens of other Tyson victims. Iron Mike would have made short work of him. And for Paul to claim he could have beaten Tyson at any stage of the ex-champ’s career is laughable. Yes, Paul and his brother, Logan, are great self-promotors, so is Tyson for that matter. Obviously, the age disparity made the bout intriguing. Those of us who have seen Tyson’s training videos thought maybe, just maybe, he could turn back the clock.
Watching Tyson struggle (if the fight was legit, and there are reports that it may have been staged) was frustrating. And then to hear Tyson leave open the door to other fights, is the deepest cut of all. The Paul Brothers are threatening to turn the “sweet science” into a circus. If Jake Paul is truly serious about pursuing a boxing career, he should fight professional fighters in the top 20 and learn the craft before moving up and fighting contenders.
Most viewers my age were feeling nostalgic. We just wanted to see Tyson reach back one final time with a left hook from 1988 and shut Jake Paul’s mouth for good. But alas, it was not to be. No one beats Father Time. He eventually catches up with all of us. Watching a prime Mike Tyson match was an event, one that never lasted too long. There were exceptions of course, the two fights with Razor Ruddick, (who fought recently against James Toney), and the two bouts against Evander Holyfield. But most of Iron Mike’s fights were brief, and brutal. It was never a question of “if” he would win, but “when” and how devastating would the end be for his opponent. Those days are gone forever. Tyson was shot almost 20 years ago when he quit on his stool at the end of Round 6 against journeyman Kevin McBride. So why did we think he would be better now than he was that night?
The real loser in all of this is boxing. The sport has been a lifeline for many young men, especially men of color, and has rescued them from a life of crime and destitution; offered them a way out, a chance to better themselves.
Seeing the faded former champ reminded me of the great Joe Louis, and how, being totally broke, thanks to largesse and IRS debts, he had to climb into a wrestling ring at age 40 to take part in exhibitions or serve as a greeter at the Caesars Palace hotel in Las Vegas just to pay his bills. Hopefully, Tyson doesn’t reach that level of desperation and is able to walk away from a sport he dominated long before Jake Paul was born.
Speaking to Jim Gray after the McBride bout Tyson said "I do not have the guts to be in this sport anymore. I don't want to disrespect the sport that I love. My heart is not into this anymore. I'm sorry for the fans who paid for this. I wish I could have done better." So do we, Mike.
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