“Fight” Night

VIEWPOINT

By RALPH HARDIN

Evening Times Editor

I was busy Friday night eating pizza and playing cards with my wife and my in-laws, so I did not have the opportunity to watch the sporting spectacle that was Netflix’s first significant foray into live sports, the boxing match between former World Heavyweight Champion Mike Tyson and reality TV/interner personality Jake Paul. And maybe that’s for the best.

Back in the day, I was pretty into boxing. I came along right at the end of when Muhammad Ali was a big deal, and I loved watching fighters like “Sugar” Ray Leonard and Roberto Duran and Larry Holmes in the ring. I was 12 or 13 when “Iron” Mike Tyson won a tourhnament to crown the first undisputed heavyweight champion since Leon Spinx defeated Ali in 1978. I thought he would never lose the title. He didn’t just win fights, he dismantled his opponents.

See VIEWPOINT, page A5 VIEWPOINT

From page A4

He did, of course, eventually lose it, in a hig upset, to Buster Douglas. He’d get it back a few years later, but the aura was kind of gone.

Then he had all of his legal troubles and personal issues and there was the whole deal where he bit Evander Holyfield’s ear… it got pretty bad.

I guess Lenox Lewis was the last guy I really kept up with, with maybe the exception of George Foreman’s improbable comeback and Middleweight Champion and Arkansas native Jermain Taylor.

Eventually, there got to be too many “meh” boxers, and by the time guys like Roy Jones Jr. and Manny Pacquiao came around to reinvigorate the sport, my interest had faded.

In recent years, European boxers have dominated the heavyweight scene, with the Klitschko brothers, Tyson Fury (great name) and Oleksandt Usyk on top.

But even at 58 years old, Tyson still fascinates the public, so his bout with Paul, 30 years Tyson’s junior, was a big ticket.

Unfortunately, it failed to deliver. Fought under very relaxed rules (2 minute rounds, only 8 rounds) and with more of a WWE atmosphere than a WBC one, the fight amouted to basically an extended sparring session. But you know what? If people are still willing to pay for that type of stuff, get paid, fellas!

And 58 or not, I would not want Tyson punching me…