Mike Tyson recently took a dig at the best boxers in the world, including Terence Crawford, for not having the entertainment value to generate hysteria as box office draws on fight nights.
Tyson appeared on the “Good Trouble with Nick Kyrgios” podcast ahead of his upcoming megafight against Jake Paul and gave his opinion on the current state of boxing today.
The former undisputed heavyweight champion stated that today’s elite champions lack the it-factor required to excite the fans enough and rake in top dollars from ticket sales.
“Terence Crawford, in a boxing fight against Errol Spence. He’s the best fighter in the world but he can’t draw five thousand people,” Tyson hyperbolized before detailing what’s keeping fighters from being the same type of draws he and his contemporaries were.
“It has to be entertaining. It has to be exciting. The best fighters in the world, can’t, like I said, they could beat anybody. They could beat anybody in the world, but they can’t draw five thousand tickets, you know. That’s because they’re not exciting. The way they make their money is because their opponents are very exciting, and got a big following. But there’s people, I’m sure they’re intent, guys that could beat them up, but they look like s***. It’s like watching grass grow.”
Tyson mentioned that fighters in the 1980s and 1990s were more riveting and that’s why they took home purses that, when adjusted for today’s economic climate, were higher than the earnings of today’s biggest names.
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There is a level of validity to his claims regarding top fights in today’s landscape. Crawford’s bout against Spence was the most anticipated matchup of 2023. The match generated $21 million in gate revenue.
In comparison, Tyson’s first bout against Evander Holyfield was also the most hyped matchup that brewed for upwards of five years while Tyson served a three-and-a-half year jail sentence. That fight brought in a then-record $14.2 million in gate revenue, which amounts to $27.57 million in 2024.
Beyond the numbers, boxing has also been infiltrated by influencers forging their own path within the sport. Figures like Jake Paul and his brother Logan have created hype that resonates with fanbases despite limited track records.
Tyson, 57, and Paul, 27 are gearing up for one of the most talked about fights of the year, despite Tyson’s advanced age and 19-year retirement as well as Paul being a rising star, yet without a notable opponent in their prime on his record, giving credence to his comments.
