Mike Tyson returns to the ring for the first time since 2005 to fight fellow legend Roy Jones Jr. in an exhibition bout in California.
How much money will Mike Tyson earn from his comeback fight?
After hanging up his gloves years ago, former heavyweight champion Mike Tyson has decided to come out of retirement at 54-years-old and will fight fellow boxing legend Roy Jones Junior (51) on Saturday night, November 28 in California.
The fight has naturally drawn massive interest, with Tyson sharing plenty of footage of his training regime and body transformation over the bast few months – whetting the appetite of boxing fans worldwide. It will be ‘Iron’ Mike’s first fight since 2005, when he fought Irishman Kevin McBride.
Tyson is expected to pocket around $10 million for his comeback fight, a nice payday for the boxing star who famously blew most of his career earnings, which Forbes estimate could have been as much as $685 million. Roy Jones Jr., meanwhile, will reportedly make around $3 million, with at least $1 million guaranteed.
What happened to Tyson’s fortune?
It’s hard to believe that a man who made an estimated $685 million could end up filing for bankruptcy, but that is exactly what Tyson did in 2003, when he had reported debts of around $23 million.
Tyson has since recovered financially and now oversees a cannabis company that reportedly makes around $1 million a month. The business also includes a 418-acre Cannabis-themed Resort known as Tyson Ranch.
Tyson says he will give earnings to charity.
Having himself become a proud cannabis smoker in recent years, Tyson has subsequently mellowed out (if his latest appearance on the Joe Rogan podcast is anything to by) since his high-tempered heyday in the ring, during which time he spent three years in prison after being convicted of rape in 1992 and later bit off part of Evander Holyfield’s ear in a boxing match in 1997. (Although he did tell Rogan that he had quit cannabis temporarily while preparing for Saturday’s fight).
The Brooklyn native has already promised to give his earnings from Saturday’s fight to charity, stressing that this highly anticipated comeback is not about making money.
“It’s going to be for various charities,” he told TMZ Sports.
“Nobody has to ever worry about me getting rich, or getting jealous, or saying I’m doing [the comeback] for money. I’m not getting anything. I just feel good doing this because I can.”
