Mike Tyson On The Future Of His Boxing Career, Talks Floyd Mayweather Jr. Fight

Mike Tyson isn’t ruling out the Floyd Mayweather Jr. fight. (Photo by Barry Brecheisen/Getty Images)

Getty Images

Mike Tyson isn’t done boxing.

The 59-year-old who was once known as “the Baddest Man on the Planet” is still boxing as he prepares to enter his 60s. The former undisputed world heavyweight champion fought in a sanctioned fight against Jake Paul in November of 2024, who is more than 30 years younger than Tyson.

The fight became the biggest boxing gate in US history outside of Las Vegas.

Tyson has been in talks to fight Floyd Mayweather Jr. in an exhibition fight for his next bout, which was originally scheduled for the Spring of 2026. The knockout king said he can’t really talk much about the plans for the Mayweather fight, but didn’t rule it out of the equation. He said “there’s not much he can talk on.”

His advisor, Amer Abdallah, recently told Boxing News that the agreement remains intact and that there is a contract in place.

Tyson said the potential bout against Mayweather is “interesting” and said that he’s “thankful” that he’s still able to fight at his current age. He said one of the biggest things that impacts his future in fighting is his family and how they feel about it due to the grueling preparation it takes for each fight.

The legendary boxer jokes that his trainers are there to “brutalize” him but is serious about the amount of preparation that it takes at this stage of his life to prepare for fights.

“My wife doesn’t like it, she doesn’t like the pain,” said Tyson in a one-on-one interview. “She doesn’t like to see me go through the pain. My trainers are there to brutalize me. I don’t think they like me. They really do a number on me. The training is bad. My wife doesn’t like it when I come back screaming and crying in the middle. Every time I breathe, my body’s just collapsing. She doesn’t like that stuff, just the ugly part of boxing that people don’t see. She doesn’t like that part at all.”

Tyson’s 2024 bout with Paul was his first professional bout since 2005 when he fought Kevin McBride. However, he has fought a couple of exhibition bouts, most notably against former four-division world champion Roy Jones Jr. back in 2020, which was ruled a draw.

He said that he has to box for at least “three or four months” to prepare for a fight and that he trains every day to prepare for a fight.

“I don’t mind, I’ll do four months, but they don’t like me to go that long,” said Tyson. “But I like four or five months. I like to train for a long period of time. I gotta keep that real about that, because I want to do a lot of boxing, so I gotta prepare myself. I haven’t boxed in two years. I have the box for four months, three months to get right for all this stuff. I’m 60 years old. Gotta keep moving again for 10 rounds.”

Mike Tyson On Reinventing Himself, Becoming a Successful Businessman And Entrepreneur

Tyson has reinvented his public image over the years and become a successful entrepreneur and businessman. After filing for bankruptcy in 2003 and initially retiring after his 2005 bout against McBride, the New York native now hosts a podcast, co-founded Carma HoldCo – which features his cannabis products.

His company generated $200 million in revenue in 2024. That’s obviously not adding in the $20 million he earned from the Paul fight in a loss. His net worth is estimated to be up to $30 million.

Tyson said there’s still “a lot of things” that he wants to do before he passes, saying his mindset is a lot different compared to when he was in his 20s and 30s during the 1980s and 1990s when he was at the pinnacle of his boxing career.

“That I’m going to die very shortly – that’s what I think about,” said Tyson about the difference now compared to back then. “I think about my mortality a lot. I just want to be able to do things in this period of time before I’m not here any longer. It’s just a lot of things I want to do.

“I heard an actress. I forgot her name, it could have been Demi Moore. she said that she’s very grateful for everything that she has,” Tyson continued. “There’s no doubt, but I’m just not satisfied. There’s more I want to do. I just have that deep, empty hole in me that wants more, and I don’t know if that’s a bad thing. I heard somebody else admitted to it, so I don’t feel too guilty to admit to it.”

Mike Tyson Details Rainbow Sliders Investment And Why He Wants To Be Involved With Healthy Products

Along with his growing business, Carma HoldCo, Tyson is also investing further in the lifestyle and consumer brands business with Sugar Factor’s Rainbow Sliders. The sliders will be available in Jewel-Osco locations throughout the Midwest in states such as Illinois, Indiana and Iowa with a larger national rollout planned.

There will also be protein sliders released later on during the summer after the initial rollout of the Rainbow Sliders.

The sliders are notable because they have vibrantly colored buns with up to 16 grams of protein per serving. They’re available in five to 10 packs.

“It was a no-brainer,” said Tyson is why he’s getting involved with Rainbow Sliders. “I thought it was an easy win. You look at the fact that (health secretary) Robert Kennedy and the President made me pretty much the ambassador of health the other day when we were doing a commercial for the Super Bowl. I’m very grateful for that.”

Tyson reiterates how healthy the sliders are and expresses his enthusiasm over being involved with healthy products moving forward.

“Absolutely, sky’s the limit,” said Tyson. “We’re gonna explore these all over the planet. It’s healthy to fully cook beef sliders. Eight ounces worth of beef patties, vibrant color buns. Eerything’s natural. There’s no bad stuff in there.”

There will also be collectible rubber ducks available in every box (five different colors) with a special ultra-rare limited edition Mike Tyson duck available.

“Only if you’re lucky, you know how that goes,” said Tyson while laughing.