Mike Tyson celebrated his 57th birthday on sunday.
When he turned 30 he told some of us he was astonished he had lived that long and did not expect to be alive for his 40th.
That either his crazed, drug-fuelled lifestyle would kill him. Or he would die in a street fight. Or he would be murdered on one of his occasional returns to his gang-land birthplace of Brownsville in New York, where a high proportion of his old enemies still resided.
Now Iron Mike is talking about making a return to boxing, either in charity exhibitions or full-on fights with an eye to another bid for the world heavyweight title. Starting perhaps with a trilogy fight against his nemesis Evander Holyfield.
This, just as we thought he had reached the age of maturity. A notion supported by videos of him back in muscular shape and pounding the punch-bag with what looks like his old knock-out power.
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Careful, Mike. The ring is a dangerous place for young men and potentially lethal for anyone soon to become a senior citizen, which is classified in America as those reaching the grand old age of 55. As Holyfield did two years ago.
Well, Tyson continues to describe himself as crazy as he regains solvency through his legal cannabis farm in Nevada. While Holyfield is still broke.
Heaven help them.
Jarrell ‘Big Baby’ Miller, who blew millions when he failed a drugs test on the eve of what should have been his first world heavyweight title shot against Anthony Joshua, has done it again.
Just as he was on the brink of a comeback from suspension in Las Vegas this month, Miller has tested positive for another belly-full of performance-enhancing nasties.
Still he is in denial, claiming for the second time that he has never knowingly used steroids and that either he accidentally ate contaminated food or that something he ingested was spiked by a rival ‘because he is really the best heavyweight in the world.’
Try telling that to Tyson Fury, Anthony Joshua or Deontay Wilder.
Try telling that to the Nevada State Athletic Commission as they decide whether this time he should be banned from the ring for life.
Once a Big Baby, always a Big Baby.
