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Former heavyweight champion and pop culture icon Mike Tyson has appeared to be on the comeback trail for weeks now, but nobody was really all that sure who “The Baddest Man on the Planet” was planning to enter the ring against.
Tyson, 53, from Catskills, N.Y., has looked fearsome in his recently released training videos and has fielded a wide variety of opponent options from all over the planet because of it.
But it looks like “Iron Mike” might be headed toward a third fight against fellow former heavyweight champion Evander Holyfield over all other potential options.
“That would be awesome for charity,” Tyson said per TMZ Live. “Can you imagine me and [Holyfield] going in the ring together?”
If it happened in 2020, Tyson-Holyfield 3 would come 23 years after the two men last fought each other. Like Tyson, Holyfield, 57, from Atlanta, Ga., also announced a comeback recently and has posted footage of himself training again.
But don’t expect the animosity that surrounded the first two fights to make its way into their potential third encounter.
According to both men, Tyson-Holyfield 3 would be for charity and nothing more.
“Hey, listen, there are a lot of people out there that need help, and something like that could help a lot of people, that’s in need for help,” Tyson said.
Tyson Has ‘Embarked on a Life of Charity and Gratitude’
“I’m in good shape,” Tyson said. “I feel really good!”
But as excited as just about everyone in the world seems to be right now about Tyson’s incredible new physique, the former champ said fans shouldn’t expect the proposed Tyson-Holyfield 3 charity fight to look anything like the first two epic encounters.
Instead, Tyson revealed that he’s “embarked on a life of charity and gratitude” and that he doesn’t know for sure if he and Holyfield are even going to fight yet.
But the door sure seems to be wide open for it, and Tyson said he likes the idea of two “arch-enemies” doing something together for charity to help those around the world in need right now.
On top of that, Tyson said he’s not counting anything out at this point in regards to a comeback to the sport he once dominated.
“Anything is possible,” Tyson said. “My ego is starting to get elated and stuff. But we’ll see, right?”
Holyfield Foresees Scripted Bout for Charity and Entertainment Only
In their first fight back in 1996, Holyfield stopped Tyson in the 11th round in a shocking upset. The two fought again a year later, and Tyson was disqualified in the rematch for biting Holyfield’s ears in the infamous “Bite Fight”.
But the two men have developed a close bond since those epic fights and have made numerous appearances together over the years.
So when Holyfield revealed he was eyeing a third fight against Tyson last month, he suggested it would be something less like a fight and more like scripted entertainment.
“I’ve already done what I wanted to do in my career, and have been the best that I could be. If it wasn’t for charity, I wouldn’t fight Tyson,” Holyfield said. “I don’t look at it as being a winner in this fight. This is a charity event helping our foundations.”
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