REBUILDING THE LEGEND: MIKE TYSON LAUNCHES LAS VEGAS AMATEUR INVITATIONAL TO SAVE BOXING
Mike Tyson launches the "Mike Tyson Invitational" in Las Vegas! Discover his plan to save amateur boxing and find the next star.
Back in the 1980s, when Mike Tyson was a young fighter in New York, he had all kinds of opportunities to sharpen the skills that would turn him into the most feared heavyweight in the world.
Now, Tyson looks at boxing in the U.S. and just shakes his head. Being a heavyweight champ used to mean you were a superstar; now, most people can’t even name the guy who holds the title.
That’s why, at 59, Tyson decided to help kick off the Mike Tyson Invitational this March in Las Vegas, the city he calls home. He and his team tracked down the country’s best amateur fighters, brought them together, and gave them a real stage to compete on. The idea? Start pushing boxing back into the spotlight, the way it once was.
“I’ve been watching some of these amateur fights and just thinking, ‘Man, we don’t have enough boxing clubs,’” Tyson said on Friday. “When I was fighting, you could fight at the Ohio State Fair one week, then head to Colorado for nationals a couple of weeks later. That’s the kind of competition we need if we want to keep up with the rest of the world.”
He’s especially worried about boxing’s future in the Olympics. Until the IOC finally announced last March that boxing would be part of the 2028 Games in Los Angeles, nobody was sure if the sport was even going to survive at that level.
Tyson wants to make boxing matter again in America. Sure, you’ll see a huge fight here and there, like the Canelo Alvarez-Terence Crawford super middleweight showdown at Allegiant Stadium that drew over 70,000 people. But those blockbuster nights don’t fix the bigger problem: at the grassroots, boxing’s in real trouble.
“Listen, boxing is dying, and that’s what’s driving me,” Tyson said. “If I can help lift the sport in any way, that’s enough for me.”
He’s open to teaming up with UFC boss Dana White, who grew up loving boxing before he built the UFC into a powerhouse. Through TKO, the company that owns UFC and WWE, White has a big partnership with Saudi Arabia’s General Entertainment Authority and Sela, a branch of the Saudi Public Investment Fund.
The Alvarez-Crawford card was the first big event under that deal, and Tyson was right there, surrounded by other boxing legends and celebrities.
The thing is, UFC has one guy at the top, calling the shots. Boxing? It’s a mess: different promoters, different organisations, all pulling in different directions.
“I kind of like how the UFC does it,” Tyson admitted. “One guy, he runs it all. It might not work for boxing, but the idea is good. In the UFC, if you turn in a boring fight, you might not get another shot. It’s about entertainment. Boxing, you stink up the show, and they just keep booking you. That needs to change. If you don’t bring exciting fights, you shouldn’t be in the mix.”
Excitement was never a problem for Tyson. He blasted through his first 19 pro fights by knockout, 12 of them in the first round. He became must-see TV, living up to his “baddest man on the planet” nickname. And he meant business. “Everyone has a plan until they get punched,” he once said.
“We’re entertainers, all of us, especially fighters,” Tyson said. “If you don’t put on a show, people will let you know. You might not like what they say, but my job was always to make the crowd happy.”
Now he’s looking for the next Mike Tyson or maybe a whole new crop of Tysons to fire up the sport.
This invitational won’t fix everything, but it’s a start.
“When I was a kid, I learned boxing is about putting asses in seats,” Tyson said. “That’s where greatness comes from.”
TYSON FURY BLASTS ANTHONY JOSHUA AFTER DANIEL DUBOIS STOPS FABIO WARDLEY IN MANCHESTER
Tyson Fury has labelled Anthony Joshua "chinny" after Daniel Dubois secured the WBO heavyweight title against a resilient Fabio Wardley.
_1778508156.webp)
Tyson Fury wasted no time after Daniel Dubois stopped Fabio Wardley this past weekend, using the moment to take a shot at Anthony Joshua.
Dubois picked up his second heavyweight title Saturday night in Manchester, grabbing the WBO belt from Wardley in a wild, bloodied battle that’s already being called a fight of the year candidate.
It wasn’t all smooth sailing for Dubois, though. He hit the canvas twice in the first three rounds but bounced back hard, battering Wardley late and leaving his face a mess as the final bell sounded.
Wardley never actually went down during the fight, despite looking wobbly near the end. Credit to him for sheer toughness, but Dubois still beat him decisively. This was Dubois’ first victory since his massive upset over Anthony Joshua earlier in 2024, when he floored AJ four times in one night.
On Sunday, Fury chimed in about Dubois’ latest win. With his own fight against Joshua rumoured for later this year on Netflix, Fury saw an opening to stir the pot.
“Just been thinking about Dubois’ crazy fight last night,” Fury said. Dubois fought [Jarrell] Miller, stopped him, but never put him down. He fought. [Filip] Hrgovic stopped him but never put him down. Fought Wardley last night and stopped him, but didn’t put him down. He hit Usyk with bombs but didn’t drop him. But against Anthony Joshua? Drops him five times.”
Fury added, “I’m not saying Joshua’s got no chin, but facts are facts. Take it however you want. Nobody else went down, not Miller, not Hrgovic, not Usyk, not Wardley. But Joshua hits the deck five times? Chinny, get up, slink!”
Fury is coming off a comeback win over Arslanbek Makhmudov and has already signed on to fight Joshua this year. Joshua will warm up first against Albanian heavyweight Kristian Pregna in Saudi Arabia on July 25 before facing Fury.
Promoter Frank Warren says Fury vs. AJ will probably land in October, though Fury might want another tune-up, which could push things back a bit.
As for Dubois, he’s got options. There’s talk of a rematch with Wardley, a chance to settle the score with Usyk in a trilogy, or a domestic showdown with Moses Itauma. Dubois’ dad, Stan, told talkSPORT he’d rather see his son fight another British heavyweight next, not Usyk.
HOW DANIEL DUBOIS SURVIVED TWO KNOCKDOWNS TO STOP A BLOODY FABIO WARDLEY
"I had to dig deep." Read Daniel Dubois' full reaction to his stunning comeback victory against Fabio Wardley in Manchester.
The punch that changed everything wasn't thrown by either of the fighters.
Fabio Wardley came out blazing in his title defence, dropping Daniel Dubois just 10 seconds in. He did it again in the third round, making it look like his big night. But then, something strange happened. As Dubois got up after the fourth round, his trainer, Don Charles, slapped him hard on both cheeks.
That’s when Dubois woke up. “I had to make him realise what he needed to do,” Charles said afterwards. It’s not exactly the kind of thing you see at team-building seminars, but it worked. Dubois turned on, and suddenly Wardley’s reign started to unravel.
Wardley had picked Dubois for the first fight since collecting the WBO belt that Oleksandr Usyk dropped. Honestly, it looked like a smart pick: he dropped Dubois twice and set the tone. But after that slap, Dubois started seeing Wardley’s moves coming; those wild lunges became easier to dodge.
He landed his stiff jab and followed up with savage right hands. Wardley’s jaw somehow took the hits, but his nose was pouring blood, and his right eye was almost swollen shut. He kept pushing forward, showing crazy heart, while Dubois just kept piling on. The fight turned into a brutal spectacle, the kind you can’t look away from.
Wardley got checked twice by doctors but kept fighting. Honestly, it could've stopped before the second-to-last round, when referee Howard Foster finally stepped in. Dubois got his second world title; Wardley, battered and worn, just managed a thumbs up to his mum.
Dubois summed it up later: “I had to dig really deep. When you’re a warrior, you go to dark places. I was nervous at first, all over the place, and had to fight my own battles. That slap woke me up. My dad and everyone were in my corner; I couldn’t let them down.
“Fabio came to fight; he was tough. We were exhausted; it was a real war. I had to use all my skills to win. Great fight, great battle, and I’m No. 1 again.” Sure, Usyk might argue about that, but Dubois proved something; he got up off the canvas and won.
People have called Dubois a quitter since the Joe Joyce fight six years ago. Wardley himself thought Dubois would fold again in Manchester, and for three rounds it looked like he was right until reality snapped Dubois awake.
