On November 15 last year, Mike Tyson suffered his seventh professional defeat. The former heavyweight champion returned nineteen years after hanging up his gloves in 2005. There are chances, as he hinted, the Jake Paul fight may not be the last one either. The match against an opponent thirty years his junior grabbed as much attention as it could.

Right from the beginning, the fight came under scrutiny. If the age gap between Tyson and Paul wasn’t enough, the former champion’s health concerns only added to the challenges. Despite facing postponement, the fight followed its destiny and concluded in front of nearly seventy thousand spectators at the Cowboys stadium and millions more around the globe. The aftermath witnessed further controversies.

Claims of the fight being ‘rigged’ or scripted’ grabbed headlines. Then Jake Paul’s post-fight comments about the knockout raised several eyebrows. But there are fans who shrug off such criticisms. Unperturbed, they continue to support Mike Tyson. An old fight video stirred up some strong emotions in a boxing trainer.

A user shared a minute-long footage of the rematch between Donovan ‘Razor’ Ruddock and Mike Tyson. The fight occurred three months after their first meeting at the same place, The Mirage in Paradise, Nevada. In the first fight, ‘Iron’ Mike defeated Ruddock by a seventh-round KO. Though still ending in Tyson’s favor, the second meeting, however, went the whole distance.

The fights took place after Mike Tyson suffered his first career loss to James ‘Buster’ Douglas on February 11, 1990. The Ruddock rematch eventually became Tyson’s last fight before he landed up in prison following the sentencing in the Desiree Washington case.

Despite suffering knockdowns, ‘Razor’ Ruddock stood his ground and fought back. Perhaps the fast-paced back and forth motivated the user to sing the praises of boxing’s prima donna division. “We all have our favorite fighters &/or divisions. But heavyweight boxing has & always will be my mine 👑💪🏾,” they said, pointing at the sound Tyson and Ruddock’s punches made.

It seems the user wasn’t the only one whom the high-octane Mike Tyson fight motivated. Boxing trainer and fight predictor Sean M. criticized how many people never shy away from taking digs at Mike Tyson. “Tyson never got hit back, never overcame adversity, had no heart, had no grit; everyone he faced was intimidated… blah blah blah! 🙄”

Mike Tyson and his career: Reflect more profoundly

As a boxing fan and follower, one may have well-intentioned sentiments, but the criticisms warrant more careful reflection. Mike Tyson grew up facing adversity, and destiny led him to the doors of boxing. When the opportunity arose, he took the plunge wholeheartedly, giving his all to the sport that propelled him to the heights of the sporting world. Along the way, he faced some of the toughest fighters of the era, most of whom ultimately surrendered to his dominating will.

A few others, like ‘Buster’ Douglas, Evander Holyfield, and Lennox Lewis, nevertheless, stood up to him and inflicted defeats. However, one should remember, like Tyson, they were the crème de la crème of heavyweight boxing of the time.

Perhaps more than inside the ring, and as he has often admitted, his life outside of it took a heavy toll—not only personally but also on his professional career, which ultimately paved the way for his decline and eventual exit. So, claims that Mike Tyson had no ‘grit’ or ‘heart’ must be viewed through rose-colored glasses.

What about you? Do you agree with the criticisms leveled against Mike Tyson?