LAS VEGAS – When Mike Tyson was developing as a youthful fighter in Recent York in the 1980s, he had plenty of opportunities to test the skills that would one day make him the world’s best and fiercest heavyweight.

Now Tyson looks at the state of boxing in the United States and doesn’t like what he sees. The title of heavyweight champion went from the most prestigious in the sport to almost anonymous.

That’s what led the 59-year-old Hall of Famer to support organize the Mike Tyson Invitational March 12-14 in his adopted hometown of Las Vegas. Tyson’s team sought out the best amateur boxers in the country to provide them with this forum in which they could compete against each other, with their long-term goal of elevating boxing to its former place as a conversation-friendly sport.

“I was watching some of the amateur fights and I was like, ‘We don’t have enough boxing clubs,’” Tyson said Friday. “Before, when I wrestled, we would wrestle at the Ohio State Fair. Then I would go to Colorado for the next two weeks and wrestle in the national tournament. That’s what we need to be able to compete with other countries. We need more competition.”

He is particularly concerned about the future of boxing at the Olympics. Until the International Olympic Committee announced last March that boxing would be included in the 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles, there were doubts that the sport’s long-standing presence in the four-year-old event would come to an end.

Tyson’s main focus is on re-increasing boxing’s popularity in the US. Major events are held from time to time, such as the unified fight between Canelo Alvarez and Terence Crawford for the super middleweight title, which will take place on September 13 before a 70,482 event at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas.

But these attention-grabbing fights only temporarily counter the notion that boxing is in trouble at the grassroots level.

“Listen, boxing is dying and that’s what drives me,” Tyson said. “If I can be involved in any way in uplifting and developing boxing, I will be joyful with that.”

This includes working with UFC CEO and President Dana White, who grew up loving boxing before building his mixed martial arts empire. With the TKO, the company that owns the UFC and WWE, White signed a multi-year deal with the Saudi General Entertainment Authority and Sela, a subsidiary of the Saudi Arabia Public Investment Fund.

The Alvarez-Crawford charter was their first under this partnership. Tyson was one of many former boxing champions and celebrities in attendance.

While the UFC is a one-man show, boxing is much more fragmented with different sponsoring organizations and promoters competing.

“I kind of like this organization,” Tyson said of the UFC. “It’s just one guy and we deal with everything. It might not work in boxing, but I like the idea. In the UFC, if they have one bad fight, a guy might not be included. It’s for entertainment. That’s what it’s all about.” [boxing]if a guy smells like a pub, they still take advantage of him. So that must be the criteria. You either organize exhilarating fights or you can’t participate in them.”

There was plenty of excitement as Tyson put his career together, resulting in a 50-7 record and 44 knockouts. The self-proclaimed “baddest man in the world” came as advertised, winning his first 19 professional fights by knockout, 12 in the first round.

His fights became must-see events, and Tyson was eager to step into the ring when he declared, “Everybody has a plan until they get punched.”

“We are all artists, trust me, especially fighters,” Tyson said. “If you’re not doing well, people will express their opinion about you. You may not like it. My job has always been to make people joyful as a player.”

Now he’s looking for the next Mike Tyson – or rather Mike Tyson – who can bring a spark to the sport.

His invitation will not be a cure-all, but it may be a start.

“I was taught as a kid that boxing was about planting butts,” Tyson said. “That’s where greatness comes from.”