Mike Tyson will step back in the ring this summer – 19 years after his last pro fight – to face YouTuber-turned boxer Jake Paul.
In 2005, ‘Iron Mike’, one of the most feared heavyweights in history, bid a sad farewell to the sport as he quit on his stool against the unheralded Kevin McBride in Washington D.C.
And even as his career was coming to an end, SHOWTIME commentator Steve Albert’s introduction to their pay-per-view offering on June 11, 2005, showed Tyson still had his aura that had seen him storm through the heavyweight division in the 1980s and earn the nickname the ‘Baddest Man on the Planet’.
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“Despite the prevailing opinion that Mike Tyson is shot, unfocused and undisciplined, this has elements of a short, painful night for Kevin McBride,” said Albert.
He was 38 years old, had been knocked out by Britain’s Danny Williams in his last fight and spent 11 months out of the ring since, but the Tyson phenomenon lived on regardless.
A crowd of 20,000 packed out the MCI Arena to witness the former undisputed heavyweight world champion in action, fully believing their hero would roll back the clock to produce another scintillating KO.
Irish journeyman McBride was the opponent selected for the occasion – his record not telling the full story.
The 32-year-old had accumulated his 32 wins by facing a host of lower-tier fighters and then suffered defeats whenever he stepped up in class.
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McBride was even beaten by Michael Murray, a man who ended his career losing 17 of his last 18 fights, with the only bout he won being the one against McBride.
While the Irishman is said to have earned $150,000 for the contest, Tyson was reportedly paid $5million – most of which went to his ex-wife and creditors.
However, Tyson was not the most iconic sporting figure at the MCI Arena that night.
After arriving at the venue, Tyson received a visit in his dressing room from the ‘Greatest Of All Time’ himself, Muhammad Ali.
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When both fighters did emerge for battle, Tyson came out to no music as he’d famously done before his peak performance against Michael Spinks in 1988.
By 2005, the intimidating effect of his entrance had lessened significantly.
McBride included a hypnotist in his pre-fight preparations and was unfazed.
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While waiting in the ring, he grabbed the giant Irish flag used to represent him and waved it to the hostile crowd who’d hounded him as he made his own walk.
