No one’s calling him Kid Dynamite anymore, but as evidenced by a video that went viral on social media over the weekend, 53-year-old, grey-bearded Mike Tyson can still throw absolute haymakers.
Ex-NBA player and current Twitter personality Rex Chapman summed up the internet’s reactions succinctly, writing: “I want none of Iron Mike Tyson at 23, 53, or even 83.”
While the post was technically a promo linking Tyson to the recent Will Smith-Martin Lawrence reunion in Bad Boys for Life, the former heavyweight champion has legitimately been hitting the bag lately, according to trainer and friend Rafael Cordeiro.
Cordeiro knew Tyson back in the late ’80s, and in an interview with ESPN’s Ariel Helwani yesterday, he claimed Tyson has “the same speed and power as guys 21, 22 years old.” Their sessions apparently last up to 90 minutes, and include five to seven rounds on the mitts. If Tyson’s going even half as hard as he is in the video above for an hour-plus workout, he’s got to be in superb shape.
Like any good hype man, Cordeiro also teased the idea of Tyson getting back in the ring to Helwani, indicating Iron Mike could be ready for a fight as soon as six months from now, and that more footage of their sparring sessions will be released soon. “‘Like I said before, 53 years old but when he puts his mind to it, his body inside the ring — he changes.”
It’s important to point out that we’ve seen videos like this before. Last year, a clip made the rounds of a 51-year-old Gary Sheffield hitting 400-foot home runs to dead center while smoking a cigar. It’s fun and exciting for fans to see former superstars show off their their talents into their 50s, but the chance of any real “comeback,” like the one Cordeiro hinted at, is slim.
Tyson’s last professional bout was against a man named Kevin McBride in 2005. It was stopped, in McBride’s favor, after five rounds.
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