Heavyweight greats Mike Tyson and the champion who was named after him, Tyson Fury, could soon tangle in the ring after promoter Frank Warren revealed ESPN have been in touch with regard to hosting an exhibition bout between them.
WBC heavyweight champion Fury has admitted it would be an “honor” to battle his namesake in a boxing ring after Warren stated that the broadcaster had been in touch surrounding the potential showcase fight.
Mike Tyson, 53, caused a social media stir in recent weeks by posting videos of him training online showing him to be in tremendous physical shape and later admitted that he was contemplating a comeback for a series of exhibition fights.
The former world heavyweight champion was linked to a host of names of a similar vintage, such as Evander Holyfield and Shannon Briggs, but a showdown against the champion with whom he shares a name appears to have interested the top brass in ESPN – as does Fury.
“I’m named after the guy, I think it’ll be iconic, I think it’ll be legendary, Tyson vs Tyson, the old vs the new and it’ll be absolutely amazing,” he said to Behind The Gloves.
“We can’t change time, we can’t turn the clock back, but we can deal with what we have today, I would love to share the ring with Mike Tyson, it’ll be an absolute honor in an exhibition fight, have a move around. It’ll be amazing.”
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However, Fury isn’t sure that the the historic exhibition will happen after he says ESPN appeared to cool their interest.
“We even had an offer from ESPN so it was definitely big, definitely official but I don’t think they’re going down that route now,” he said.
“I wish him luck in anything he does because the guys a legend and I hope he comes back and does well and gets out and gets back to his family in one piece.
“I think that Mike thinks that he still has more to offer and he probably does and he’s got one pay-per-view here of me anyway whoever he fights.”
Frank Warren, the man through whom Fury’s fights are brokered, isn’t quite as keen on the idea.
“There has been talk about Mike Tyson doing an exhibition with Tyson Fury. There has been a conversation, but not with me. To be quite honest, it’s not something I’m interested in,” he told Metro.
