Mike Tyson has always been creative in describing the ways in which he’d like to end his opponents.
The Baddest Man on The Planet once wanted to eat the liver of Lennox Lewis, punch the nose of Jesse Ferguson back into his brain, and ahead of his Nov. 28 exhibition match with Roy Jones Jr., he wants to incapacitate the former four-division champion.
"My mindset is totally bliss. This is something I've done all my life since I was 13 years old," Tyson said during an introductory news conference officially announcing the fight. "I'm more evolved now than I've ever been. My objective is to go in there with the best intentions of my life and to disable my opponent, and that's just what it is."
It’s clear that Iron Mike still has his killer instinct, but whether or not he’ll get the chance to apply it will be a whole different story.
California State Athletic Commission executive director Andy Foster told BoxingScene.com earlier this summer that Tyson’s meeting with Roy Jones Jr. shouldn’t be anything more than a sparring session and the fight will not be allowed to get dangerously competitive.
Tyson still plans on moving forward with future showcases for the greater good of his benevolent causes as part of his newly launched Legends Only League.
"I'm going to go as long as the league is working," Tyson said. “I just feel magnificent … I'm going to do this, and I'm going to help a lot of people. And my legend is going to be that I've given a lot more than I've taken."
Tyson’s positive outlook on life and his boxing career has taken a 180-degree turn since when he last competed as a professional in 2005.
“I was happy to leave the ring. I dreaded being in the ring at that time. I was fighting for financial purposes. I was on drugs. I was a whole different person back then,” Tyson said. “I have the desire to do this now and the will to do this now. I’m just ready to do this, and I feel really great, and I want to see how great I look.”
Manouk Akopyan is a sports journalist and member of the Boxing Writers Assn. of America since 2011. He has written for the likes of the LA Times, Guardian, USA Today, Philadelphia Inquirer, Men’s Health and NFL.com. He can be reached on Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn and YouTube at @ManoukAkopyan or via email at manouk[dot]akopyan[at]gmail.com.
