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Heartbreaking: The real reason Mike Tyson agreed to face Floyd

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Mike Tyson Floyd Mayweather

Mike Tyson Reveals Heartbreaking Reason He Agreed to Floyd Mayweather Fight

Heavyweight boxing legend Mike Tyson is set for a shock return to the ring next year when he takes on Floyd Mayweather in an exhibition bout.

No location has yet been confirmed for the fight, which will be promoted by CSI Sports/Fight Sports. The bizarre clash is expected to take place next spring over eight, two-minute rounds.

Neither Tyson or Mayweather are strangers to the exhibition format. Since retiring as a professional after beating UFC superstar Conor McGregor in August 2017, ‘Money’ has competed in no less than eight exhibition bouts.

Mike Tyson and Floyd Mayweather Jr. set to meet in exhibition boxing match in 2026 | CNN

READ: How A Loss To An Inactive Crawford Has Shattered Canelo Alvarez

The undefeated fighter has tested his skills against the likes of Logan Paul, Deji and John Gotti III, reportedly scooping major paydays on each occasion.

Tyson fought fellow boxing legend Roy Jones Jr in a November 2020 exhibition, although his most recent in-ring activity came in a professional contest against social media star Jake Paul last November. ‘Iron Mike’ entered a disappointing performance against ‘The Problem Child’, losing via unanimous decision in a bout where he barely landed a punch.

Mike Tyson Explains Decision to Face Floyd Mayweather

Given his struggles against Paul, many have questioned why Tyson would agree to fight again, especially against an opponent as skilled as Mayweather. The New-York-born knockout artist was quizzed on his motivation during a recent appearance on The Today Show. Tyson responded:

“I have a 14-year-old son, and my son said ‘Why? Why are you doing this?’ For a moment, I didn’t know what to say. And I felt sad for a moment. I said, because I’m the best that ever did it. That’s why.”

However, the youngest-ever world heavyweight champion would pause, before continuing by making a statement that will be tough for his long-time fans to hear:

“He didn’t get it, but I said, ‘I have to, it is all I know how to do.'”

Tyson would then try to justify his stance by pointing out that he had made more money in his 50s (by fighting Jones Jr and Paul) than he did in the whole of his 20s. While his upcoming bout with Mayweather will undoubtedly be highly regulated to ensure fighter safety, the fact that Tyson feels that he needs to keep competing is concerning.

The veteran slugger, who turns 60 next July, has had various ventures away from the ring, including acting, podcasting and launching a range of products bearing his likeness. After his loss to Paul, Tyson insisted that he wouldn’t step back into the squared circle again.

However, the lure of the sport in which he became a legend – and the money that comes with it – keeps pulling Tyson back. The same can be said for Mayweather, who will be 49 years old by the time next year’s showdown takes place. While the competitive fire burns within a fighter, it is tough for them to close the door on one last fight.

 

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BOXING

WATCH Mike Tyson shares why he agreed to fight Mayweather Jr.

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Mike Tyson

Mike Tyson has agreed to another high-profile fight as he approaches his 60th birthday, and the former heavyweight champion says he had a very simple reason for doing so.

Tyson and Floyd Mayweather Jr. have agreed to an exhibition fight that is scheduled to take place at some point in the spring of 2026. During an interview with SportsRadio 94WIP in Philadelphia on Friday, Tyson was asked how the bout came together. He said Mayweather started “talking a lot of s—” out of nowhere.

“Because Floyd was talking a lot of s— and challenged me. I was minding my business. I wasn’t thinking about him,” Tyson said. “I was thinking about another way where we could invest more money in this and do this. I wasn’t thinking about fighting or nothing. We were all happy about the Jake Paul fight. We were thinking, you know, man, we could never top this, man. How could we top this?”

Mike Tyson and Floyd Mayweather Jr. set to meet in exhibition boxing match in 2026 | CNN

JUST IN: Why Terence Crawford is not concerned about judging, plans

Tyson fought Paul last November in an event that was widely mocked. Paul, who is 31 years younger than Tyson, won in an eight-round unanimous decision. The fight actually counted towards the official record of both fighters, with Tyson dropping to 50-7 for his career.

Tyson said he was “really depressed” after fighting Paul.

“It was, like, depressing, I was really depressed. I said how could we ever top this? Nobody could ever top this. We broke the whole television system,” Tyson added. “And this came up. I gotta be careful what I ask for. I might get it, huh? Listen, I wasn’t expecting this. This guy just came out talking some mad s—. I didn’t say nothing to him or anything. I love Floyd. He’s talking crazy.”

Mayweather is 48, so he and Tyson are much closer in age than Tyson and Paul. Floyd has not had an official fight since 2017, though he has taken part in several exhibitions. His latest was a non-scored bout against John Gotti III in August 2024.

The big question is whether Tyson will be healthy enough for even just an exhibition against Mayweather. He dealt with some issues that forced a postponement with his fight against Paul, but the event still generated a ton of hype and money. Tyson’s exhibition against Mayweather will do the same if it winds up happening.

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Jake Paul Had No Choice but Use Legal Action Against

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Jake Paul Had No Choice but Use Legal Action Against Critics’ Rigging Allegations, Explains Chael Sonnen

Jake Paul has been making waves in the boxing world, but his rise hasn’t come without controversy. Following his highly publicized bout against Mike Tyson last November — streamed exclusively on Netflix — Tyson’s close friend and former NFL star Adam ‘Pacman’ Jones publicly claimed the fight was rigged. Similar accusations surfaced again after Paul secured a unanimous decision win over Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. in June.

Veteran journalist Piers Morgan also cast doubt on the legitimacy of Paul’s win during his show. While Paul and his business partner, Nakisa Bidarian, have repeatedly pushed back against such allegations, they appear to have reached their limit. After recently threatening Morgan with legal action, Paul has reportedly retained high-profile attorney Alex Spiro, best known for representing the likes of Elon Musk, to take on the mounting criticism.

Amid all this, former UFC fighter Chael Sonnen has weighed in, shedding light on why Jake Paul hired high-profile attorney Spiro — reportedly charging $3,000 an hour — to take on his critics. Speaking on his YouTube channel, Sonnen revealed, “I give each and every one of you a full pass. I have a direct line to Jake, I am somebody Jake will listen to, I can get you a pass. Truly.” He added that the only reason he’s willing to defend some critics is because, in his words, “I don’t believe that you know what it is you’re saying.”

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READ: EXCLUSIVE: Why Usyk vs Jake Paul is ‘homicide, even in a

Sonnen believes many of the accusations of fight-fixing stem from people chasing headlines and clicks rather than genuine concern. He emphasized that Paul’s decision to bolster his legal team stems from the serious nature of the allegations. “You’re accusing him of a crime. I don’t think that you’re aware of that,” Sonnen said, highlighting the legal gravity of rigging a sporting event. “It is beyond illegal to rig something that has gaming. Beyond illegal. I don’t think you realize the severity — not just from an ethical and moral standpoint, which would take away from everything, every piece of hard work that you’ve ever done.”

Interestingly, Spiro — renowned for fiercely defending his clients’ reputations — has previously represented high-profile figures like Jay-Z, Alec Baldwin, and Naomi Osaka. Jake Paul’s decision to bring Spiro on board signals a serious shift in how he’s approaching his boxing career. It suggests that Paul is now more committed than ever to safeguarding his brand and credibility within the sport. With Spiro’s extensive experience in high-stakes cases and his keen understanding of public perception, Paul appears determined to silence his critics through legal means rather than just in the ring.

“I’ve been retained by Mr. Paul to pursue legal redress for the damages he has suffered,” Spiro said in a statement, per the Daily Mail. “If someone uses their public soapbox to harm him and the sport with lies, there will be consequences.” Regardless, while Paul’s legal move may have caught many off guard, his business partner had already addressed the growing wave of baseless allegations weeks earlier, hinting that action might be taken.

Rigging allegations against Jake Paul are defamatory, says Bidarian

On July 8th, MVP co-founder Nakisa Bidarian appeared in an interview with MMA journalist Ariel Helwani, where he directly addressed the rigging allegations surrounding Jake Paul. “When you definitively state that Jake is putting on staged or rigged fights, that’s just defamation,” he told Helwani. “And you’re causing substantial damage to his business, to MVP’s business, and something that’s 100 per cent not true.”

Bidarian further claimed that these accusations have negatively impacted Paul’s partnerships with DAZN, Netflix, and Celsius, forcing them into uncomfortable and unwarranted conversations with their corporate partners. “Our legal representation is looking at multiple individuals to go after,” Bidarian had told Helwani at the time.

Turns out Jake Paul wasn’t bluffing about going after his critics for making baseless accusations. Now, media personalities will have to either refrain from talking about the subject or face Paul’s legal team on the courtroom floor. And from Spiro’s resume, he may land a knockout blow.

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