When and why did Mike Tyson stop boxing?
Mike Tyson first retired from boxing in 2005, then re-retired earlier this month.
'Iron Mike' is one of the greatest heavyweight boxers in history. He first captured gold at only 20 years old, knocking out Trevor Berbick. His subsequent knockouts of Larry Holmes and Michael Spinks shot him into superstardom.
🏻32 years ago today Mike Tyson knocked out Larry Holmes👊🏻 https://t.co/WD4tinbhnt
However, Tyson began running into issues outside the ring that caused him to decline inside it. Despite only being 30, the heavyweight great was already on the downslope of his career by the time he met Evander Holyfield in 1996.
Less than a decade later, the former heavyweight champion decided to retire. Tyson's final opponent was Kevin McBride in 2005, and despite being up on the cards, the legend decided to retire halfway through the fight. With that, a legendary career ended on a whimper.
However, 15 years later, Tyson decided to return. He found his love for boxing again during the COVID-19 pandemic and decided to have a one-off exhibition match with Roy Jones Jr. in November 2020.
–Mike Tyson vs Roy Jones fight ended in a draw.🥊🥊🤘🏾
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That outing ended in a draw, however, Tyson was praised for his performance. While the 56-year-old later stated that he would box again, no other matchup was made. Earlier this month, Tyson decided to retire once again in an interview with NewsMax.
Mike Tyson discusses his retirement
Mike Tyson retired from boxing twice, but the decision was the same for both.
'Iron Mike' retired on the stool between rounds against Kevin McBride in 2005. Despite winning the fight, the heavyweight legend was just tired of competing. In the post-fight interview, he stated that his heart wasn't in the sport anymore.
17 years later, Tyson decided to retire once again. Despite rumors of a possible showdown with Jake Paul, the 56-year-old decided that he has had enough.
In a recent interview with NewsMax, Mike Tyson revealed why he retired again. The heavyweight legend said that he had an offer to fight for $100 million, but his return wasn't about money.
Tyson explained in the interview that boxing isn't fun for him anymore.
"The boys want to fight with me for 100 million dollars, but I think I'll never do something like that again. I wanted to do it the first time, just for fun, to have fun. Then some people took him to another level and only wanted him for financial reasons, so the fun was over."
See a portion of the interview below: