Mike Tyson and Evander Holyfield to box again? Five fighters made comebacks after retirement, including George Foreman’s incredible return
Mike Tyson and Evander Holyfield have sent boxing fans into a frenzy by revealing they will return to the ring.
The two heavyweight legends are both planning on doing some exhibition bouts for charity in the near future, and everyone is thinking the same thing…
Could one of the fiercest rivalries in sports history about to be reignited?
The pair met twice in the 1990s, with the second fight producing one of the most shocking moments in history when Tyson, 53, bit off a chunk of Holyfield’s ear.
They have since reconciled and become close friends, but you can bet Tyson would still love a shot at redemption, even if it was just in an exhibition.
The ‘Baddest Man on the Planet’ claims to be in the best condition of his life and stunned everyone by sharing a clip of his astonishing pad work on Instagram last week.
Meanwhile, Holyfield was an exceptional athlete long into his forties, so you can bet he’s still in shape at 57.
Boxers have an unusual habit of hanging the gloves up and then putting them back on - and it would probably be quicker to name the fighters who only retired once.
Floyd Mayweather, for example, has quit three times and there is still talk of a potential rematch with Manny Pacquiao.
Then you’ve got Muhammad Ali and Tyson Fury, whose extended breaks from the sport weren’t exactly voluntary.
However, like Tyson and Holyfield, there have been some genuinely staggering returns to the ring by boxers well into their retirement and way past their prime...
George Foreman
There can only be one place to start.
‘Big’ George spent ten years away from the sport and devoted his life to God after his defeat to Jimmy Young at the age of 28.
He stunned the boxing world by announcing his return to the ring at 38 and many laughed off his attempt to launch a second career.
However, an incredible run of 24-straight victories earned him a title shot against undisputed champion Holyfield, who was in his prime.
Foreman was 42 and a far cry from the chiselled Holyfield, but the former champion still lasted the full 12 rounds before suffering a points defeat.
Then three years later, at the age of 45, wearing the same red shorts, he sensationally beat Michael Moorer to win back the titles he lost to Ali in 1974.
Foreman fought until he was 48, ending his career with an amazing 76-5 record.
Nigel Benn
While Tyson and Holyfield will take inspiration from Foreman, there are plenty of examples to avoid.
British boxing legend Nigel Benn announced his plans to return to the ring last year at the age of 55, before suffering a serious shoulder injury in training.
He was due to fight Sakio Bika last November and many felt the injury was a blessing in disguise, amid fears for Benn’s safety.
Like Tyson, Benn also claimed to be in the best shape of his life as he trained for the comeback.
He told talkSPORT: “I’ve got the fitness of a 25-year-old. I’ve not stopped training since I retired.
“I’ve never, in my entire life, ever tried to con the British public. If I tell you that I’m more fit now, you better believe me.”
Brian Nielson
The Dane is perhaps most famous for quitting on the stool against Tyson in 2001, but ironically he was also Holyfield’s last opponent.
Nielson, the former IBO heavyweight champion, spent nine years away from boxing before returning to face Holyfield in 2011, at the age of 46.
Holyfield, two years Nielson’s senior, proved he was still a serious contender right until the end of his career by stopping the Dane in the tenth round.
Mark Weinman
This is the longest time ever a boxer has spent out of the ring between professional fights.
Weinman, nicknamed ‘The Hebrew Hammer’, returned from a 21-year lay-off to beat Elvis Martinez at the age of 50.
The New York middleweight quit in 1991 after losing three-straight fights in his late twenties, but made his triumphant return to the ring in 2012.
Martinez was 18 years his junior at the age of 32.
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Jerry Quarry
From the most popular man in boxing to a 47-year-old punching bag, the story of Jerry Quarry is a tragic one.
At the height of his career, between 1968 and 1971, the Bellflower Bomber beat some of the best heavyweights of his era, although he lost to Ali and Joe Fraizer twice.
But a long fighting career took its toll on Quarry and he began to decline, both mentally and physically, during his thirties.
He first retired from the sport in 1977, before returning six-years later to lodge two wins at the age of 38 in 1983.
Quarry was already showing signs of dementia pugilistica - the atrophy of the brain from repeated blows to the head - and the fights did little to improve his health.
He retired again between 1983 and 1992, but after losing his fortune by 1990, he launched another ill-advised comeback following a nine-year hiatus.
Most states refused to grant him a boxing license but a 47-year-old Quarry found a loophole in Colorado, where he fought Ron Cramner, who was 16-years younger.
Unfortunately, he was nothing more than a punching bag for six rounds and never recovered from the punishment.
Within a few years, he was unable to dress or feed himself and sadly died at the age of 53 in 1999.