WBC boxing heavyweight champion Tyson Fury says there was talk of a potential exhibition showdown with Mike Tyson but the asking price wasn’t feasible.
“Iron” Mike has the world of combat sports buzzing with his plans to make a return to the boxing ring. Tyson plans to compete in exhibition matches for charity. He hasn’t been short on names thrown into the hat including his old rival Evander Holyfield, and Fury’s father John. Tyson Fury says even he was in talks to fight “Iron” Mike but he quickly realized it just wasn’t going to materialize.
Tyson Fury Reveals Mike Tyson’s Insane Asking Price
Speaking to IFL TV, Fury revealed that Tyson wanted an insane number for an exhibition bout between the two. Meanwhile, Fury also claimed to have been offered “peanuts” in comparison (h/t BJPenn.com).
“There was talk of it. I was contacted by Mike Tyson’s people and me and Mike had a phone call. It was definitely real but nothing ever materialized with it,” Fury said to IFL TV. “They was offering the money to Mike, and they came back and offered us like peanuts completely. Mike Tyson was talking to me like $500 million. What came back to us on paper was like okay this has got to be a joke, someone is crazy. Nothing ever happened, nothing materialized. I did have the offer on the table from ESPN of $10 million to do the fight like an exhibition. It was what it was, I think everyone’s moved on.
Fury went on to say that he didn’t see much upside to fighting Tyson even for an exhibition. He mentioned that if Tyson managed to stun him, then it makes him look foolish for being outworked by a 53-year-old. Had he gone in and starched Tyson early, Fury believes he would’ve been painted as a bully.
Tyson hasn’t been short on options since announcing his comeback plans. He reportedly turned down an $18 million offer to fight Wanderlei Silva under the BKFC banner. “Iron” Mike has been seen on AEW, which is an American wrestling promotion. Tyson has made a couple of appearances for the organization and many wonder if a pro wrestling match with Chris Jericho is on the horizon.
