Mike Tyson comeback at 53? Not against the top heavyweights, says respected boxing commentator Max Kellerman
- The ‘baddest man on the planet’ intends to return to the ring and box in exhibitions for charity after a video clip of him training went viral
- Tyson looks fast and powerful but ‘not compared to the top heavyweights, who are now 30 or 40 pounds bigger than when he fought’
Max Kellerman has shot down Mike Tyson’s plans of returning to the ring at the age of 53, saying the one-time “baddest man on the planet” has had a “great second act” but wouldn’t match the top heavyweights of today.
The youngest heavyweight champion of all time – he beat Trevor Berbick for the title aged 20 in 1986 – has got himself in shape, judging by a widely circulated video that showed the iconic boxer hitting the pads with trainer Rafael Cordeiro.
In the short clip, Tyson can be seen showing his signature moves, exhibiting amazing speed and power for a man of his age.
“I’ve been working out, I’ve been trying to get in the ring. I think I’m going to box some exhibitions and get in shape,” Tyson said in the video clip posted on social media that has been viewed more than nine million times.
“I want to go to the gym and get in shape to be able to box three or four-round exhibitions for some charities and stuff. I do two hours on cardio, I do the bike and the treadmill for an hour, then I do some light weights, 300, 250 reps. Then I start my day with the boxing thing, I go in there and hit the mitts, 30 minutes, 25 minutes, start getting in better condition.”
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His video amazed millions of fans who thought “Iron Mike” still had it at 53. But older fans might recall Tyson retired after he quit on the stool after the sixth round in his loss to Kevin McBride in 2005 – that was 15 years ago when a fading Tyson decided to hang up his gloves for good.
His intended comeback has raised more than a few eyebrows – but not respected boxing analyst Kellerman, who said he had his reservations.
“Not a real comeback, not against top heavyweights. That’s not going to happen for a bunch of reasons,” said Kellerman bluntly. “Number one, he’s 53 years old. Yes, he’s still fast and he hits hard but not nearly as fast or hard hitting than when he was a young man and ... it’s hard to tell because at that level it still looks fast and powerful compared to mostly everybody else in the world which is true, but not compared to the top heavyweights, who are now 30 or 40 pounds bigger than when Mike Tyson fought.”
Kellerman noted that Tyson lost his last bout against McBride, who would himself lose six of his next eight fights, and that the heavyweight great was coming off a loss, too, when he faced the Irishman.
“But to Mike Tyson’s great credit, and you have to measure people by distance travelled from where Mike Tyson started, and that he had ups and downs in his career. But what a second act Mike Tyson is having as a human being!
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“It’s amazing. I never thought he would be alive this long so I’m so glad he is.
“He wants to get his body moving, he wants to raise money for charity to help people,” said Kellerman.
Asked by ESPN host Mike Greenberg whether he could “hang” against 31-year-old WBC heavyweight champion Tyson Fury, Kellerman replied: “No chance. But what he could do is to get into great shape.”
Meanwhile, Cordeiro said Tyson could make a comeback with six months training. Cordeiro told ESPN: “He hasn’t hit mitts for almost 10 years. So I didn’t expect to see what I saw. I saw a guy with the same speed, same power as guys 21, 22 years old.”
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