Evander Holyfield’s 2021 comeback fight against Vitor Belfort serves as a warning to Mike Tyson.
Holyfield, then 58, agreed to a fight with the former UFC light heavyweight champion when Oscar De La Hoya, Belfort’s original opponent, was forced to withdraw from the contest after contracting COVID-19.
Like Tyson’s next fight against Jake Paul, Holyfield’s return to the ring was preceded by widespread medical issues.
The former two-weight world champion looked like a shell of himself, slipping early and almost falling out of the ring.
Holyfield was rocked by the first significant shot he absorbed – and was knocked down with a left hand moments later.
Once back on his feet, Belfort rained shots on him and although Holyfield covered himself, he offered no response of his own when the referee stopped the fight.
Many had criticized the decision to place Holyfield, 58, in the ring and praised the referee for intervening so quickly.
However, the boxing legend said: “The guy pushed me, the guy is strong.
“But I wasn’t hurt. No gunshot really hurt me. He hit me suddenly and I was off balance. I’m not hurt. It’s a bit sad.
“I think it was a bad decision, he shouldn’t have stopped the fight so quickly.”
Now, Tyson prepares to return to the ring at the same age as Holyfield when “The Real Deal” was beaten pillar to post by Belfort.
Except that, rather than “Iron Mike” revealing a 14-year age difference like Holyfield did in Belfort, he enters the ring with a man 31 years his junior, Paul.
The last time Tyson competed – a scoreless fight against Roy Jones Jr in 2020 – he looked much better than Holyfield.
However, “RJ” was also in his 50s.
Concerns have been raised over Tyson’s health as he prepares to box Paul.
Stephen Hughes, a senior lecturer in medicine at Anglia Ruskin University, recently highlighted the potentially life-threatening injuries he could suffer from the fight in an article for The Conversation.
Because he is an older man and a recovering alcoholic, Tyson is at increased risk of suffering a subdural hematoma, better known as a brain hemorrhage.
“In older people, the brain tends to lose volume,” Hughes explained. “This lengthens the bridging veins and makes them more vulnerable to rupture.
“Bleeding from these torn veins causes a pool of blood that puts pressure on the brain.
“It causes confusion, loss of consciousness, neurological disability and, in some cases, death…
“Alcohol is known to accelerate brain shrinkage, and it appears that Tyson considers this a past risk factor.”
Tyson and Paul will face off on July 20 at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas, live on Netflix.
Katie Taylor and Amanda Serrano’s rematch will serve as the main bracket, with the rest of the undercard yet to be announced at the time of writing.
Evander Holyfield’s 2021 comeback fight against Vitor Belfort serves as a warning to Mike Tyson.
Holyfield, then 58, agreed to a fight with the former UFC light heavyweight champion when Oscar De La Hoya, Belfort’s original opponent, was forced to withdraw from the contest after contracting COVID-19.
Like Tyson’s next fight against Jake Paul, Holyfield’s return to the ring was preceded by widespread medical issues.
The former two-weight world champion looked like a shell of himself, slipping early and almost falling out of the ring.
Holyfield was rocked by the first significant shot he absorbed – and was knocked down with a left hand moments later.
Once back on his feet, Belfort rained shots on him and although Holyfield covered himself, he offered no response of his own when the referee stopped the fight.
Many had criticized the decision to place Holyfield, 58, in the ring and praised the referee for intervening so quickly.
However, the boxing legend said: “The guy pushed me, the guy is strong.
“But I wasn’t hurt. No gunshot really hurt me. He hit me suddenly and I was off balance. I’m not hurt. It’s a bit sad.
“I think it was a bad decision, he shouldn’t have stopped the fight so quickly.”
Now, Tyson prepares to return to the ring at the same age as Holyfield when “The Real Deal” was beaten pillar to post by Belfort.
Except that, rather than “Iron Mike” revealing a 14-year age difference like Holyfield did in Belfort, he enters the ring with a man 31 years his junior, Paul.
The last time Tyson competed – a scoreless fight against Roy Jones Jr in 2020 – he looked much better than Holyfield.
However, “RJ” was also in his 50s.
Concerns have been raised over Tyson’s health as he prepares to box Paul.
Stephen Hughes, a senior lecturer in medicine at Anglia Ruskin University, recently highlighted the potentially life-threatening injuries he could suffer from the fight in an article for The Conversation.
Because he is an older man and a recovering alcoholic, Tyson is at increased risk of suffering a subdural hematoma, better known as a brain hemorrhage.
“In older people, the brain tends to lose volume,” Hughes explained. “This lengthens the bridging veins and makes them more vulnerable to rupture.
“Bleeding from these torn veins causes a pool of blood that puts pressure on the brain.
“It causes confusion, loss of consciousness, neurological disability and, in some cases, death…
“Alcohol is known to accelerate brain shrinkage, and it appears that Tyson considers this a past risk factor.”
Tyson and Paul will face off on July 20 at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas, live on Netflix.
Katie Taylor and Amanda Serrano’s rematch will serve as the main bracket, with the rest of the undercard yet to be announced at the time of writing.