Fury accepts shock offer to fight Mike Tyson

World heavyweight champion Tyson Fury says he's accepted a surprise offer to fight Mike Tyson in an exhibition bout.

According to The Sun, the battle of the Tysons is just one of Iron Mike's many fights lined up since his sensational return to fitness 15 years after his retirement.

The 53-year-old is also reportedly set to face old rival Evander Holyfield, 57, nearly a quarter of a century after they last fought, while a $32 million offer is also reportedly on the table for Tyson to fight in the Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship.

However, it appears the matchup against the WBC heavyweight champ Fury is the only fight that has been agreed to so far, according to Fury.

"I did get a phone call with a chance to fight Mike Tyson. I was like 'what?'," Fury told BT Sport.

"Yeah, I had a phone call saying 'would you like to fight Mike Tyson in an exhibition fight?' I was like 'hell yeah!'"

Fury, who was named Tyson by his father after Mike Tyson, said while he has agreed to the bout, he doubts anything will come from it.
"But I don't think anything's materialised out of it to be honest.

"So yeah I think he's [Mike Tyson] definitely serious about doing some fights or whatever, but he's fought Holyfield twice so they're both old now, so I think they're a bit long in the teeth.

"But who am I to say anything, what anybody's capable of? I wouldn't try and kill anybody's dreams.

"If they're both fit to fight, medically fit, then let them do what they want to do. It's their life not mine."

The two Tysons have been fans of each other, with Iron Mike recently calling Fury "the greatest".

Speaking to Ring Magazine about Fury's comeback from depression and addiction, he said: "With Tyson, if he didn't go through everything he's been through, he wouldn't be the person that he is today.

"The mental health issues? That's why he's the greatest, because he's sick, and that's being real.

"People want him to be normal. Yeah, be normal and go on the f***ing welfare line.

"Tyson doesn't know what normal is. Tell him to stay the f*** away from normal; he wasn't meant to be normal."

Meanwhile, Fury's rival Anthony Joshua was also supportive of Tyson's return to boxing.

"For everyone else it is a 'comeback' but for him it is just what he does, he is a fighter.

"He has probably just taken a little break, everyone else is thinking 'oh my God, Mike Tyson is making a comeback'.

"But Tyson is probably just thinking 'this is what I do, I am a fighter by nature'.

"If he is back in the ring then I would love to see it, I will definitely be one of the viewers, that's for sure.

"He was the man when I was growing up, I watched him on YouTube."

This article was first published on nzherald.co.nz and is republished here with permission