Former heavyweight champion Mike Tyson recently expressed that Jake Paul and Tommy Fury make him miss the thrill of being in the spotlight.
The week Paul and Fury competed in a grudge match in Saudi Arabia, the heavyweight icon was a special guest. Additionally, the heated weigh-in between Paul and Fury caused Tyson to reminisce about his prime.
Tyson confessed on his podcast that he had always wanted to be a competitor, and nothing else could compare. He said:
“I miss this stuff, I didn’t think I’d miss it until I was at the weigh-in in Saudi Arabia for [Paul-Fury]. You miss being the center of attention.”
In that match in Riyadh, Fury went on to defeat Paul by a split decision. During the Paul-Fury match, Tyson was ringside and had reportedly been approached to compete in Saudi.
After a 15-year absence, the youngest heavyweight champion in history made a surprising return in 2020. He competed in an exhibition match against fellow American icon Roy Jones Jr. The match resulted in a tie.
Tyson’s potential opponents for future exhibition bouts include Jones Jr. in a rematch and Evander Holyfield in a trilogy bout. While Tyson has expressed satisfaction with his current state of retirement, his comments suggest that he is not opposed to another match in the future.
Tyson said: “I don’t know, I’m just chilling out. I did that, I wanted to do that, I did that. People also in Saudi Arabia want me to do this stuff too. I don’t know, I could be persuaded.”
It remains to be seen whether Tyson will return to the ring once again, but his desire to be back in the limelight is undeniable.