Home Boxing News Dillian Whyte worried about Mike Tyson’s health ahead of ring return

Dillian Whyte worried about Mike Tyson’s health ahead of ring return

Dillian Whyte lands a left hook on Lucas Browne. Photo credit: Reuters

Dillian Whyte has issued a dire warning to Mike Tyson ahead of his proposed comeback, saying he could die in the ring.

Tyson, 53, has posted short clips of himself working out on social media in recent weeks, stoking rumours of a return to the ring. He hasn’t fought professionally for 15 years.

WBC president Mauricio Sulaiman even suggested that he would be willing to sanction a fight between ‘Iron Mike’ and WBC heavyweight champion Tyson Fury.

“I am very excited, very happy. He has brought great positive attention to the sport. Why? Because Mike Tyson is a hero and an icon”, Sulaiman told Boxing Social.

“I am supporting it 100 per cent and if someone wants to say he wants to fight for the title, I will say he will and the WBC will be there!”

But WBC number one contender Whyte has expressed grave concerns about the idea.

“It’s silly. If they can’t sanction a fight with me for three years, why the hell are they going to sanction a fight with a 53-year-old man and a 31-year-old man?” Whyte told talkSPORT.

“It makes no sense. That’s silly. Mauricio and I are cool, but it’s a very silly thing to say. He shouldn’t be encouraging it. What if he comes back and dies in the ring? What’s going to happen then?

“We’ve already got enough darkness and enough mud thrown on the sport as it is, we don’t need any more. It’s all good watching someone do a one-minute clip on Instagram.

“Getting back in the ring and fighting 12 three-minute rounds… don’t get me wrong he’s probably still got the power to chin a lot of guys, but at that age your mind tells you stuff when your eyes see stuff but your body won’t allow you to do it.

“You can think you’ve got it and you’re still this and that and you’re going against these young guys. We’ve seen it happen time and time again with older guys coming back and fighting for a long time. It’s just like, what’s the point?

“You’re a legend, you’re a living legend. Be that and leave it alone. But we don’t know people’s financial situation, what they’re doing or what they’ve been through.

“He might just feel like he wants to test himself, but there are easier ways to test yourself than coming back and fighting with these young, hungry guys.

“He might get seriously hurt and that’s the biggest worry for me.”