Tyson knows that people are describing his decision to take the fight as the aging boxer’s version of a midlife crisis. He gets sensitive when reporters ask if he’s still got it, or when skeptics suggest the bout is a gimmick event that isn’t real. He simmers down a little when he reminds himself that most of those who question him have never stepped into the ring themselves. Still, his inability to say no to a fight—a mindset D’Amato instilled in him that has stayed with the kid from Brooklyn—has even surprised Kiki, he admits.
The Chinese fighter, 39, was undefeated until his most recent contest – a decision loss to Filip Hrgovic in a brutal bout last August, on the undercard of Usyk’s second straight win over Anthony Joshua. With that result, Usyk retained the unified titles that he took from Joshua 11 months prior.
In August 2008, it was announced that Mosley would fight at light middleweight against former world champion Ricardo Mayorga (28-6-1, 22 KO’s). The fight was to take place at Home Depot Center in California on September 27, 2008. The first time since 2000 that Mosley would fight in his home state. The fight was for the vacant WBA Inter-Continental light middleweight title. Mosley was guaranteed $1 million. During the first three rounds of the bout, the harder puncher appeared to be Mayorga, who landed right hands from long range. Mayorga’s roughhousing mixed with his usual showboating antics seemed to bother Mosley, who appeared more uncomfortable and agitated. In recklessly lunging in with wild power shots of his own Mosley wound up falling into more clinches and getting caught with punches he should have avoided. Mosley settled down and found the distance in the fourth round and took the next three rounds by timing Mayorga with overhand rights that landed and occasionally following up with short hooks and single body shots. Mosley continued with right hands in the seventh and eighth rounds. Mosley was able to land single power shots in the late rounds, but threw very few combinations. At times Mayorga beat Mosley to the punch with lead right hands. Near the end of the eleventh round, Mosley landed a right hand that splattered blood from Mayorga’s mouth. With less than a minute left in the bout, put Mayorga down on his hands and knees. Mayorga got up on unsteady legs; Mosley stepped in with a short, lead left hook that put Mayorga flat on his back at the bell, resulting in the referee waving the bout off. At the time of stoppage, two judges had Mosley ahead with scored of 107-102 and 105-104, whilst the third judge had Mayorga ahead 105-104. Had the fight gone to scorecards, Mosley would have won via unanimous decision due to the last round being a 10-7.
United States’ Devin Haney, right, raises his hands after fighting George Kambosos Jr. of Australia as Haney defends his undisputed lightweight boxing title in Melbourne, Sunday, Oct. 16, 2022. (AP Photo/Hamish Blair)
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Tyson has also said that the tattoo was meant to honor the Maori of New Zealand, although Maori representatives have not responded kindly to such use of an ancestral moko, especially since it was used in The Hangover, and doubly so because Perez says that it’s his original design. “The tattooist has an incredible arrogance to assume he has the intellectual right to claim the design form of an indigenous culture that is not his,” Professor box Ngahuia Te Awekotuku said in the New Zealand Herald.
Though the famously hard-hitting champ has always shown formidable skills in the ring, he’s been training for the Paul fight with a little extra help from Tool singer Maynard James Keenan. The rocker posted pics with Tyson, who he said has been getting in shape working out at his Cottonwood, AZ Verde Valley BJJ martial arts school; Keenan, who co-founded the gym, earned his black belt in Brazilian jiu-jitsu in January.
5:02 p.m. ET/ 10:02 p.m. GMT: The third fight features a battle of unbeaten middleweights. Austin “Ammo” Williams (Matchroom) takes on Hamzah Sheeraz (Queensberry). We return to round-by-round scoring for this 12-round bout.
Round 1: As expected, the 5-2 ball is super-aggressive from the start. Ford, a sharp-shooting southpaw, finds a home for the left hand to the body. A couple of nice attacks from the challenger, but he can’t penetrate the guard. Body again and a quick combination from Ford.
In November 2002, Mosley married Jin Sheehan. The couple had three children before divorcing in 2010. He has a son, Shane Mosley Jr., from a previous relationship. Mosley Jr. made his professional debut in 2014.