Mike Tyson rejects big money offer to fight Aussie footballers in exhibition bout
Even the prospect of a $3m purse dangled in front of the 53-year-old former ‘baddest man on the planet’ isn’t enough to tempt Mike Tyson to square up to Sonny Bill Williams, Paul Gallen or Barry Hall.
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Mike Tyson has rejected a $3 million offer to fight either Sonny Bill Williams, Paul Gallen or Barry Hall in an Australian exhibition fight, describing the proposal as “an insult to boxing”.
Among the greatest heavyweights of all time, Tyson is surprisingly back in training at age 53 and looking to stage a series of charity bouts, with old rival Evander Holyfield emerging as a potential opponent.
The American fight favourite sent social media into meltdown a fortnight ago when video emerged of him doing padwork with trainer Rafael Cordeiro.
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I’m a Bad Boy for Life. Watch #BadBoysforLife now on DVD Blueray @realmartymar #willsmith #stillthebaddestmanontheplanet pic.twitter.com/R9Zmz19GFm
— Mike Tyson (@MikeTyson) May 1, 2020
The impressive footage, which has since been viewed over nine million times, not only attracted interest from US president Donald Trump and Golden Boy Promotions founder Oscar de la Hoya, but also Melbourne fight promoter Brian Amatruda.
After viewing the Tyson padwork video, Amatruda immediately reached out via Sydney publicist Max Markson, who was responsible for bringing the former heavyweight champ to Australia in 2012.
Amatruda reportedly offered Iron Mike up $3 million to take his pick from three fighting footballers – Gallen, Williams and Hall. Yet Markson has told The Daily Telegraph that by Saturday afternoon, Tyson responded via email to reject the offer.
“Mike felt it would be an insult to boxing if he fought a footballer,” Markson said.
“He doesn’t have any interest in coming to Australia at the moment – plus, there is no international travel anyway because of the coronavirus – but said if anything changes I’ll be the first to know.”
Meanwhile, UFC president Dana White has revealed Australia’s featherweight champ Alexander Volkanovski could be headed for a Fight Island showdown with Hawaiian great Max Holloway.
Speaking with The Daily Telegraph, White confirmed Volkanovski could potentially rematch the man whose gold strap he took in a thrilling Las Vegas upset last December.
Initially, Volkanovski looked set to headline against Holloway at UFC 251 in Perth this June.
However, with the COVID-19 pandemic having now cancelled that event, the pair are firming to main event on the private island White has hired to host international UFC fighters.
Asked about Volkanovski versus Holloway, White said: “That would be considered Fight Island. Nothing is sorted for Alex yet but I’m hoping to have Fight Island ready by June, either that weekend the infrastructure is done or by the end of that month.
“Right now, one of the toughest pieces to this puzzle is getting fighters in and out of other countries. That is why we’re building Fight Island, we can fly people in from all over the world.”
Originally published as Mike Tyson rejects big money offer to fight Aussie footballers in exhibition bout