Mike Tyson is nearing the end of his career as Floyd Mayweather’s recent cancellation of an exhibition may have put the final nail in the coffin.

Tyson’s Hall of Fame tenure, which incredibly extended at the age of 57 against Jake Paul in 2024, was approaching his final appearance against Mayweather.

The fight had been talked about for months as if it had actually happened. A date was set, attention was paid, but the reality never lived up to the headlines as the proposed event failed to advance beyond early discussion and quietly faded away.

There was a lack of explanation, space and real emphasis. In the case of a Floyd Mayweather event, this is usually the biggest prize.

When Mayweather wants a fight, he promotes it. This time he didn’t.

Instead, Mayweather moved on. His confirmed return against Mike Zambidis in Athens made it clear what his focus was, leaving the Tyson fight on the sidelines – most likely for good.

Time and injuries

Time has also caught up with this idea.

Tyson will turn 60 in June, and his next fights will be a huge surprise considering everything that has already happened.

He almost died when Paul’s fight was postponed from April to November two years ago, which Tyson himself later detailed after an in-flight medical emergency left the former champion fighting for his life.

That alone should be a warning.

Combine that with previous back surgery, appearing in a cast on his arm just last month, and the massive amounts of marijuana Mike is consuming, and another comeback seems unthinkable.

Tyson has been through a lot, but it’s a completely different situation for the hard-hitting Modern Yorker.

The last chapter

The Mayweather fight was the one that could have sent Mike flying with fanfare.

It had the name, the curiosity and the setting that could allow Tyson to make one last appearance without everything that comes with a full comeback.

Now that’s gone and it looks like his fight with Paul is all she wrote.

World Boxing News has already reported that Tyson’s former rival, Oliver McCall, is continuing to fight at the age of 61, but Tyson was never that type of fighter.

If he does not regain full health in the coming months, boxing fans will likely see the last of the youngest heavyweight champion of all time.

At this point, the opportunity has passed and nothing else on the table carries the same weight.

Mainly because it feels like Mike Tyson’s swan song has already happened.

About the author

Phil Jay is the editor-in-chief of World Boxing News (WBN) and a boxing veteran with over 15 years of experience. Since 2010, he has interviewed world champions, published exclusive international performances and reported on in-ring performances. His work is distributed on major platforms including Apple News. Read the full biography.

Naoya Inoue received another career-defining challenge before she even stepped into the ring against Junto Nakatani.

First and foremost, “The Monster” must defend his undisputed super bantamweight crown against Nakatani on May 2, headlining the blockbuster Japanese event at the Tokyo Dome.

This will mark Inoue’s seventh defense of his four major 122-pound titles, and the uncompromising feeling has been considered the top star of the two-pound-for-pound division.

The 33-year-old’s most notable victories came against the likes of Luis Nery and Ramon Cardenas, who both defeated the undisputed two-division champion but were ultimately stopped in rounds six and eight, respectively.

Meanwhile, Nakatani is widely considered to be Inoue’s toughest opponent to date, even though the three-division world champion lost debatable points of victory over Sebastian Hernandez in December last year.

However, to be fair, this was his first appearance at 122 pounds and many expected the 28-year-old to raise his level against Inoue.

However, in a world where Inoue is winning, it is becoming more and more likely that he will consider a potential fight with Jesse “Bam” Rodriguez.

The unified super flyweight champion will move up to 118 pounds for his next fight, where he will face WBA champion Antonio Vargas on June 13.

If this next assignment is successful, Rodriguez will talk about it Ring Magazine that he will jump up another weight class to face Inoue.

“I’m ready at any time. If I was offered this fight right now, I would definitely accept it.”

Although Matchroom promoter Eddie Hearn has confirmed initial talks about the fight, there is equally a chance that “Bam” will drop down to 115 pounds in pursuit of undisputed glory.

Alan “Veneno” Chaves (22-0, 19 KO) defeated Miguel “Explosivo” Madueno (31-5, 28 KO) in the third round to win the WBO Latino lightweight title in the co-main event at Fontainebleau Las Vegas in Las Vegas, Nevada.

Chaves started the action early and found success with pointed shots once the fight started. The finish came when he landed a crushing left hand that dropped Madueno tough. Referee Harvey Dock waved it off at 1:26 of the third round. The power Chaves showed today makes him a threat to anyone at 135 or 140.

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Last updated: 25/04/2026 at 22:43