When one side demanded too much money, plans for a heavyweight bout between Mike Tyson and Tyson Fury were shelved.
That’s what ‘The Gypsy King’ said, claiming that at one point, talks were on to have the two fight in an exhibition match. But when ‘Iron’ Mike demanded $500 million for the pleasure, the negotiations broke down.
When Fury made the disclosure, he was at the top of his game and had just defeated Deontay Wilder for the first time. His father, John, named him after the former unified world heavyweight champion. The 36-year-old also talked about how inspired he was to take on someone who has been particularly influential in his own boxing growth.”I did get a phone call with a chance to fight Mike Tyson,” Fury admitted to BT Sport in 2020. “I thought, ‘What?’” Yes, I received a call asking whether I would be interested in fighting Mike Tyson in an exhibition match. I thought, “Hell yeah!”
‘The Baddest Man on the Planet’ instead met fellow boxing legend Roy Jones Jr. in an exhibition in November 2020, as the match never materialized. In the present day, Tyson, 58, is scheduled to make his official return from retirement on November 15 when he squares off against Jake Paul in eight two-minute rounds.
In an October interview with iFL TV, Fury explained why his fight with Tyson never materialized, stating that it was because to financial concerns: “There was talk of it. I got in touch with his people. Mike and I spoke on the phone. Though it never came to pass, it was all real.
Tyson FuryMike Tyson and Tyson Fury almost got into a brawl (Photo: PA Wire)”We received peanuts from whoever was giving Mike the comeback money. Although Mike was discussing $500 million, or half a billion dollars, the amounts that were presented to us on paper were absurd. It was insane. ESPN offered me $10 million to do the fight as an exhibition, but I believe that everyone has since moved on.
Even though Tyson’s impending fight with Paul has been successful in generating attention, a fight between the two Tysons would have been quite different. Given that The Gypsy King was still unbeaten at the time the rumors initially surfaced, the chance to encounter heavyweight kings from their respective eras doesn’t come along very often.
Many believe that Tyson’s fight with Paul will be his final fight, and that he will likely retire permanently after the fight. The hard-hitting American hasn’t ruled out continuing to fight, though, and he has a few options, including sparring with some of his former rivals and some of the best heavyweights in the world today.
