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.”
FLOYD MAYWEATHER IN "OFFICIAL BREACH" OF CONTRACT FOR PACQUIAO PRO REMATCH, SAYS CEO
Floyd Mayweather faces "breach of contract" as Pacquiao Promotions demands a sanctioned pro fight in Las Vegas
Looks like Floyd Mayweather and Manny Pacquiao are really gearing up for that rematch, even with all the back-and-forth talk. Fans were shocked earlier this year when word came out that they’d be squaring off at The Las Vegas Sphere on September 19, over ten years after their first fight. That first showdown back in 2015? Mayweather pretty much ran the show and scored a win on points.
But now, things feel a little fuzzy because Mayweather started hinting this wasn’t a full-on pro fight, just an exhibition. Chatting with Vegas Sports Today, he said, "As of right now, we don’t actually know where the fight is going to be at," and doubled down: "This is not actually a fight; it’s an exhibition, so we’re going to do it again, and hopefully we'll entertain the people. We’re both winners; it's an exhibition, so we’re both winners.”
On the flip side, Pacquiao’s camp isn’t budging; they want a real sanctioned bout. Pacquiao jumped back into action last year, fighting Mario Barrios to a draw. His team made it clear he’d only fight Mayweather in a legit pro match. Jas Mathur, CEO of Manny Pacquiao Promotions, pushed back hard against Mayweather’s latest comments.
Speaking to ESPN, Mathur insisted that the match is happening and is purely professional. “As of right now, the fight is still on. There is no termination of any sort, and he has signed for a professional fight," he said. Mathur didn’t mince words, either: “He's been in breach since he went out and said what he said on Saturday, and he's officially in breach as of yesterday.
"Mayweather signed three separate agreements on three different days with two different groups, all tying back together in January. It’s all about his return to pro boxing. First was October 24, then November 6, and again on December 14. He received payment when he signed each agreement, and he even took an advance on his purse for fighting Pacquiao.
"Nobody has brought up anything about the venue or whether the fight isn’t a pro match. His team has the contracts; he signed them, and we’ve got DocuSign records, wet signatures, device ID, IP address, everything.
"If Floyd’s afraid of Manny and isn’t willing to risk his record in a real match, he shouldn’t have signed anything in the first place. He should just come out and say it, because Manny’s definitely not scared.”
Mayweather walked away from pro boxing in 2017 after beating McGregor, but kept busy fighting exhibition matches against guys like Logan Paul, Deji, Aaron Chalmers, and John Gotti III. Pacquiao stepped away about five years ago to focus on politics in the Philippines, but the itch brought him back to the ring last year. Now, both seem ready or at least Pacquiao has settled the rivalry once and for all.McGregor but
JOHN FURY CONFIRMS TOTAL FAMILY COLLAPSE AHEAD OF TYSON FURY’S APRIL 11 RETURN
John Fury reveals his relationship with Tyson Fury is destroyed as the Gypsy King prepares for Arslanbek Makhmudov.
John Fury opened up in what might be his most emotional interview yet, saying that his relationship with Tyson is destroyed. It’s clear things between them have eroded beyond repair.
Tyson Fury is gearing up for his return to the ring on April 11 at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, facing off against the powerful Russian heavyweight Arslanbek Makhmudov. Known as 'The Gipsy King', Tyson has already made it clear he won’t have a traditional boxing trainer this time around. Instead, he plans to handle his own training, echoing a tough, self-reliant approach.
“I’m a one-man army. I train myself like Clubber Lang,” Tyson told Sky Sports last month. “As long as someone hands me a drink and a bit of Vaseline between rounds, I’ll be fine.”
That means SugarHill Steward, the well-known coach, won’t be part of the team, nor will John Fury, Tyson’s father, who hasn’t worked with him since Tyson’s first fight against Oleksandr Usyk in May 2024.
John seems to have stepped back even further, hinting that he might not even attend the upcoming fight after revealing how broken their communication has become.
In a candid talk with Playbook Boxing on YouTube, the 60-year-old was blunt: “My relationship with Tyson is destroyed. Boxing did that, completely. I’ll say it on camera: I’ve never taken £10 from him, and I never will.”
He continued, “I don’t want Tyson’s money, and honestly, I don’t need it. Whatever he’s got, good luck to him. But people need to remember who laid the groundwork for his story when he was a kid; it wasn’t him building it alone. It was me, his father.”
John’s voice cracked as he got deeper into the topic, admitting, “I was nearly asking for a break because of how strong these feelings are. I haven’t really shown this side before, but they’re locked in there.”
When it comes to Tyson’s current state, John didn’t hold back. “I think he’s past his prime. I’m the type who says it as I see it,” he said. “I love my son, but too many folks have been telling him things that aren’t true, hyping him up as if he’s invincible. He’s not; he hasn’t been for a while.”
For John, the turning point came after Tyson’s battles with Deontay Wilder. “Those fights finished him off. Wilder really took it to him. Tyson’s legs aren’t there anymore. Makhmudov is a serious threat; that’s just how I see it.”
John understands that Tyson is trying to test himself again, but he warns that the proof will be in the ring once the bell rings.
He explained further, “Tyson was a beast, but anyone who fights one of the hardest punchers three times pays a price. You can’t just refill that tank as if nothing happened. Every punch matters.”
John pointed to Tyson’s last fight, where he went down four times from heavy shots but still pushed through with everything he had. “He fought with heart, gave it his all,” John said, “but after that knockout, he had nothing left.”
He recalled Tyson’s own words, saying that he was “ready to die in that ring” if needed, reflecting a mindset willing to risk all.
Turning to the career management side, John expressed frustration. “If you can’t give your father respect when it counts, then just move on. I don’t need that. Tyson chose
