Mike Tyson Begins Career as Boxing Promoter With Iron Mike Productions
Heavyweight boxing legend Mike Tyson is set to return to the sport he dominated for more than a decade as he prepares to try his hand at promoting, according to ESPN's Dan Rafael.
The promotional company, which was originally based out of Deerfield Beach, Fla. and formerly known as Acquinity Sports, will now be known as Iron Mike Productions. Rafael reports that Tyson and the chief executive of Acquinity Sports, Garry Jonas, had been working on a deal the past five months before reaching an agreement.
Based on his recent interview on ESPN's Friday Night Fights, the 47-year-old Brooklyn native has given the decision plenty of thought and is extremely happy about his new career direction, via Rafael: "I thought about it, I talked to my wife (Kiki) about it and we thought we wanted to do it. I feel so awesome to be involved with the game again. That just feels so awesome."
The first fight card under Iron Mike Productions will come on Aug. 23 in Verona, N.Y., and will feature a pair of title bouts.
Per Rafael, the Friday Night Fights season finale will feature junior lightweight world champion Argenis Mendez defending his crown against Arash Usmanee. In the co-main event, undefeated Claudio Marrero will battle Jesus Andres Cuellar for a vacant interim featherweight title.
Tyson, who was inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame in 2011, went 50-6-2 as a pro, beginning his career with a flawless 37-0 record before being knocked out by Buster Douglas in Tokyo in 1990. Tyson's last professional boxing bout came 15 years later in 2005, a loss to Ireland's Kevin McBride via technical knockout in Washington D.C.
Since his boxing career came to an end eight years ago, Tyson has remained busy, starring in The Hangover film series and even appearing in his own one-man Broadway show.
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