Mike Tyson made his grand return to the boxing ring back in November of 2020 where he faced off against the likes of Roy Jones Jr. For the most part, it was an entertaining match that saw Tyson deliver some devastating body shots, all while showing the world that he can still be an effective athlete. Despite dominating the fight, the entire bout was labeled as a draw, and now it would appear as though Tyson and Jones are coming up with a plan for a rematch.
Recently, one of Tyson’s former opponents, Lennox Lewis, was asked about the possibility of a rematch against Tyson. Lewis claimed that while there were no talks about such a fight, he would certainly be open to it and that it could prove to be a lot of fun — especially if that’s what the fans want to see. This got us thinking about who else could Tyson fight, and what our wishlist would be for the future. From former foes to fighters from other disciplines, there are a whole plethora of guys who could make a Tyson battle extremely entertaining.
Evander Holyfield
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Evander Holyfield is the most obvious fighter on the list and if his name didn’t immediately pop into your head upon reading the title of this article, well, shame on you. Tyson and Holyfield have fought twice over the span of their careers and Holyfield won on both occasions. Of course, the more memorable of these two bouts was the second one, in which Tyson took out a nice chunk of Holyfield’s ear with that iconic bite. It was a gnarly scene that had Holyfield screaming in pain all while leaving Tyson in disgrace.
Since 1997, both of these guys have made up, and Holyfield was even on Tyson’s podcast. At this point, there doesn’t seem to be even any real beef between them, although there have been plenty of rumors that they could end up fighting each other in an exhibition fight. With Triller showing serious interest in Blockbuster boxing matchups, Tyson and Holyfield would prove to be a cash cow that would generate interest from every single sports fan out there.
Lennox Lewis
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As previously mentioned, Lennox Lewis would undoubtedly be a phenomenal matchup for Tyson. To provide some context here, Tyson and Lewis fought against each other for the Heavyweight Championship back in 2002. The fight ended up going all the way to eight rounds but in the end, it was Lewis who was able to get the knockout. A year later, Lewis defeated Vitali Klitschko and immediately retired from boxing with a record of 41-2-1.
Prior to the match, Tyson claimed that he would eat Lennox Lewis’ children, which is easily one of his most iconic lines. His words against Lewis’s family are simply water under the bridge these days, although seeing these two back in the ring together would bring a lot of joy to boxing fans everywhere. Lewis ushered in the end times of Tyson’s career, and a rematch would bring forth a ton of nostalgia that fans could certainly get behind.
Shannon Briggs
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While he has mostly turned his attention to being a commentator, there is no denying that Shannon Briggs is a guy who can still bring a ton of fire to the wing. With an overall record of 60-6-1-1 throughout his career, Briggs has proven that he is one of the more entertaining Heavyweight fighters to ever get in the ring, having challenged the best of ’em. Just last year, Briggs announced that he would be fighting Tyson during the 4th Of July weekend, but in the end, it never came to fruition.
Almost a year has passed since, and there is no denying that fans of both fighters are still hoping for this exhibition to happen. Briggs Vs. Tyson was a battle that many wanted to see even when these two were in their primes and it remains a disappointment that we never got it. If both camps can figure out the contract details, there is no reason why this wouldn’t be a successful bout from a financial point of view.
Daniel Cormier
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Perhaps the oddest inclusion on this list, Daniel Cormier could certainly make for a great exhibition partner. When Conor McGregor fought Floyd Mayweather almost four years ago, it was the first time that a UFC fighter was going up against a real boxing superstar. In the end, Conor lost but he put up a good enough fight for fans to think that maybe someday an MMA guy could go in the boxing ring and come away with a belt. In fact, retired MMA fighter Ben Askren is about to fight Jake Paul, and ever since Cormier retired from the UFC, some have wondered whether or not he would consider boxing.
What makes Cormier a compelling matchup is that he is only just a year out of the sport which means it wouldn’t take him long to get back into shape. Not to mention, he has kickboxing experience and knows exactly what it’s like to battle heavyweights. Sure, he might be 13 years younger than Tyson, but that doesn’t mean much as they are both experienced in their domains. The fighting world has certainly given us matchups much more bizarre than this one.
Vitali Klitschko
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Much like Manny Pacquiao, Vitali Klitschko has transitioned into the world of politics. He is now the mayor of Kyiv in his native Ukraine and at this point, a return to the boxing ring seems highly unlikely. However, when you make lists like this, you’ve got to maintain some level of fantasy as this is simply what we would truly love to see.
Klitschko was extremely successful during his prime and finished his career with a record of 45-2, all while being declared a Heavyweight champion. What makes him a unique matchup for Tyson is the height disparity. At 6 ft 7, Klitschko is a full nine inches taller than Tyson which means both fighters would have to change up their strategy. Not to mention, some of Tyson’s best efforts over the years have been against guys who have substantially more reach than he does. Klitschko has been out of boxing for over eight years now which also means that if he were to come back, it would take a lot of effort to get back into shape. As two guys who dominated their respective divisions, you can’t help but be curious about what a fight between them would look like.
Let us know what you think of these picks, and if you have your own, be sure to tell us in the comments below.