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EVANDER HOLYFIELD ENLISTS HEAVYWEIGHT LEGEND WLADIMIR KLITSCHKO TO HELP HIM TRAIN FOR MIKE TYSON

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Evander Holyfield has brought former world heavyweight champion Wladimir Klitschko into his training camp as he gears up for a sensational return to the ring.

The 57-year-old, who hung up his gloves back in 2011 after 57 professional fights, is eyeing a trilogy bout against his old rival Mike Tyson later in the year.

Holyfield has insisted that any meeting with the man who famously bit off part of his ear would be a gentle, no-knockout fight, but his latest training video – which features Ukrainian legend Klitschko – suggests otherwise. 

In the clip, which was posted to Holyfield’s Instagram account in the early hours of Friday, the 44-year-old is pictured shaking hands with the American.

Klitschko was brutal in his defeat of Nigeria’s Samuel Peters

He is also seen with a clipboard in his hands as Holyfield works out and appears to be helping Tyson’s long-time foe get up to speed ahead of a potential third fight between the pair.

The latest video is captioned ‘Team Holyfield preparing for battle’, suggesting Klitschko is likely to remain part of the veteran’s camp as he works towards his first fight in almost 10 years.

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Holyfield appears to be in excellent shape in the new clip, which features him working out on the pads with his trainer, former world light heavyweight champion Antonio Tarver, and shadow boxing.

The 57-year-old is also seen skipping, lifting weights and working on his speed and movement in the video, which has fuelled talk of another meeting with Tyson.

The clip ends with Tarver, who also posted a picture of himself with Holyfield and , declaring: ‘The real deal is back, baby’.

Last week, Holyfield revealed to Sportsmail that he has spoken with Tyson about arranging an exhibition fight.

‘Mike and I talked once about this (the exhibition) and from that point on his people have spoken to my people. We are not at a point where we are at an agreement but there have been conversations.  

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‘There are some big people from different countries who would like for us to do it. My whole thing is, “Yes, if there is a way we can do it, then do it”. Me being me and Mike being who Mike is, I know it could be something big.

‘If it could be worked out then there has to be an understanding that there can be none of this other stuff that happens (with Tyson). Ain’t nobody getting a decision or win or lose or going for knockouts. Exhibition.

‘I didn’t really want to get back in the ring because I always said when I stop I will stop. But an exhibition, that is different. I am not killing myself for nobody. I ain’t looking for knockouts and I ain’t going more than three, three-minute rounds. 

‘We do it in an appropriate way. But I am going to be in great shape. And if someone thinks they going to hit me, I don’t want them to think I ain’t going to hit them back. I don’t know if it will be Mike. If it don’t work then it weren’t meant to be.’

Holyfield’s training video was posted just a couple of days after Tyson gave fans another glimpse of his trademark power and speed in his own clip.

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The 53-year-old has also been training hard ahead of a controversial return to the ring, with Shannon Briggs claiming that he had agreed to take on Tyson.

Launching his own page on Chinese microblogging site Weibo, Tyson told fans that: ‘There’s a possibility I might come back’.

Wearing just a pair of jeans and no top, the American then proceeded to shadow box, showing off the speed which once made him the most feared man in boxing.

In the short clip, Tyson throws a series of jabs, hooks and uppercuts, teasing the sort of punches we could see again if a fight with Briggs – or Holyfield – is made official.

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Kunle Solaja is the author of landmark books on sports and journalism as well as being a multiple award-winning journalist and editor of long standing. He is easily Nigeria’s foremost soccer diarist and Africa's most capped FIFA World Cup journalist, having attended all FIFA World Cup finals from Italia ’90 to Qatar 2022. He was honoured at the Qatar 2022 World Cup by FIFA and AIPS.

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Mike Tyson and Jake Paul get suspended for lasting the distance in Netflix super fight

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Winner, Jake Paul and Mike Tyson have been prevented from getting to the boxing ring .

Both have received an official ban from boxing after their Netflix Superfight

The bout went the distance but both boxers have received an official suspension from boxing.

The two fought in a huge, record-breaking event in front of 70,000 fans at the AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas, with Paul emerging with a unanimous decision victory on the scorecards after the eight-round bout went the distance.

Both he and Tyson will not be able to return to the ring right away. They have received the minimum suspension period, according to regulations followed by the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation (TDLR).

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Both Paul and Tyson are required to serve a suspension for 24 days. The rules stipulate that fighters must rest for three days per round fought and the pair completed a full eight.

There is, however the possibility of appealing the medical suspension – with the fighter in question having the option to request a hearing where they can must prove their fitness.

Regulations from the TDLR state: “Medical disqualification of a contestant is for their own safety and may be made at the recommendation of the examiningphysician or TDLR. A contestant who disagrees with a medical disqualification, medical suspension or rest period set at the discretion of a ringside physician or a disqualification or suspension set by the department may request a hearing to show proof of fitness.”

The co-main event undisputed title fight between Katie Taylor and Amanda Serrano, which averaged 74 million viewers, also went the distance and means both women are suspended for 45 days.

Serrano, who lost on points to Taylor in the rematch, was left with a large cut from an accidental headbutt.

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Paul’s triumph once again received backlash, with some coming up with theories claiming Tyson pulled his punches and that it was “rigged” for the 27-year-old to win.

Although he admitted he decided against knocking Tyson out as he didn’t want to hurt him, Paul and his team emphatically denied the claims.

“You don’t realize my power, and my speed, and my agility, and my footwork to get out of the way of those punches,” Paul commented on the IMPAULSIVE podcast.

“All of a sudden he’s throwing at air. He can’t land those punches on me.”

In his only official comment after the fight, Tyson said he “lost but still won” after overcoming a serious health scare where he “almost died” back in June following an ulcer flare-up.

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He said there were “no regrets to get in ring one last time”.

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Netflix says 60 million households worldwide tuned in for Paul-Tyson match

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 Netflix (NFLX.O), opens new tab said on Saturday that 60 million households worldwide had tuned in for the highly anticipated boxing match between Jake Paul and Mike Tyson, and the event peaked at 65 million streams, according to a statement.

The bout between the 27-year-old social media influencer-turned-prize fighter Paul and the 58-year-old former heavyweight champion Tyson, which Paul won, was streamed live on Netflix.

Nearly 50 million households tuned in for the co-main event between Ireland’s lightweight champion Katie Taylor and Puerto Rico’s featherweight champion Amanda Serrano, according to Netflix.

“The bout is likely to be the most watched professional women’s sporting event in US history,” Netflix said in its statement.

There were some hiccups during the live-stream of the match, with over 90,000 users reporting problems on Netflix at its peak, according to outage tracking website Downdetector.

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However, the streaming platform was back up on Saturday after the outage that lasted roughly 6 hours in the United States.

-Reuters

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Former heavyweight champion Tyson has no regrets after fighting ‘one last time’

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Nov 15, 2024; Arlington, Texas, UNITED STATES; Mike Tyson (black gloves) fights Jake Paul (silver gloves) at AT&T Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Jairaj-Imagn Images/File Photo

Boxing legend Mike Tyson said he had no regrets about his defeat to social media influencer-turned-prizefighter Jake Paul, adding that he had nearly died in June because of health issues.

Tyson was beaten by unanimous decision on Friday at the AT&T Stadium in Arlington, with fans largely disappointed as the 58-year-old former heavyweight champion showed his age and was never able to generate any offence against his younger opponent.

Initially set for July, the fight was pushed back after Tyson suffered an ulcer flare-up.

“This is one of those situations when you lost but still won. I’m grateful for last night. No regrets to get in ring one last time,” Tyson wrote in a post on X.

“I almost died in June. Had eight blood transfusions. Lost half my blood and 25 lb (11 kg) in hospital and had to fight to get healthy to fight so I won.

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“To have my children see me stand toe-to-toe and finish eight rounds with a talented fighter half my age in front of a packed Dallas Cowboy stadium is an experience that no man has the right to ask for. Thank you.”

The bout was streamed live on Netflix, though hiccups during the livestreaming prompted more than 90,000 users to report problems at the peak, outage tracking website Downdetector showed.

The streaming platform was back up on Saturday, however, after the outage lasted about six hours in the United States.

-Reuters

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