Lost amid the furor of Mike Tyson’s training videos he’s released has been one simple fact: How bad of an idea it is for any 50-plus-year-old man to compete as a boxer, particularly ones that have been retired for years.
Tyson’s videos, in which he’s shown hitting the mitts with coach Rafael Cordeiro, are almost certainly part of a product endorsement strategy, though the possibility exists that the former undisputed heavyweight champion could come back to compete in an exhibition for charity.
But fans are excited by Tyson’s videos and anticipating a comeback. Other notable 50-somethings, including long-time Tyson rival Evander Holyfield and James Toney have also taken to social media to drop hints about a comeback.
Lennox Lewis tweeted that he’s been training, as well, though he put a wink emoji at the end of his tweet.
It’s simply not a good idea, however, for men of that age to be talking of boxing. As Toney often said during his illustrious career, you don’t play boxing.
