FLOYD MAYWEATHER and Mike Tyson are set to meet in an exhibition bout at their combined age of 107.
The pair of boxing legends announced that their eyebrow-raising showdown has been signed with an official date and venue to come.
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It is just the latest money-spinning spectacle fight between two of sport’s greatest coming well past their primes.
Both men came up in different eras and had contrasting careers – with the exhibition unlikely to settle any sort of mythical debate on who was better.
But here, SunSport breaks down how the duo compare in terms of legacy ahead of perhaps their most shocking fight to date.
The beginnings
Before Tyson was even a teenager, he was striking fear into rivals with rumours of knocking out grown men in sparring.
He had a decent amateur career, winning Junior Olympic medals and national titles before turning pro aged 18.
And within two years, he became the youngest heavyweight world champion of all time knocking out Trevor Berbick in 1986 at 20-years-old.
Mayweather meanwhile came from a family of fighters, his dad Floyd Sr was a pro while his uncles Jeff and Roger won world titles.
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But when Mayweather was just 16, his dad went to jail for drug trafficking. Still, he qualified for the 1996 Olympics in Atlanta.
Mayweather was robbed in the semi-final – settling for bronze – before turning pro that same year.
Within two years and 18 fights, he became super-featherweight world champion.
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Prime years
Tyson had a meteoric rise to the top of the sport – but it all came crashing down just as fast.
Four years into his title reign, millions of dollars later, Tyson was stunned 42-1 underdog James Buster Douglas in Japan.
Tyson built back with four wins but he was jailed in 1992 for a rape conviction – serving three of his six-year prison term.
Iron Mike was released in 1995, winning back the title a year after by knocking out Frank Bruno for the second time.
But Tyson was never the same, losing twice to Evander Holyfield – infamously biting his ear in their 1997 rematch – before being KO’d by Lennox Lewis in 2002.
Tyson’s career came to a depressing end following two defeats to Danny Williams and Kevin McBride.
It brought a close to one of boxing’s most tumultuous careers – or so we thought.
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For Mayweather, it is hard to pin down when his prime years were, quite frankly dominating in all stages of his tenure.
He ran through the 126lb-140lb divisions – barely breaking a sweat – under his Pretty Boy moniker.
It was after moving up to welterweight – going by the nickname Money – when he became boxing’s biggest star with marquee wins over Zab Judah, Ricky Hatton and Shane Mosley.
He even stepped up to light-middleweight – weighing under the 154lb limit – for legendary victories against Oscar de La Hoya, Miguel Cotto and Canelo Alvarez.
Mayweather was still a untouchable deep into his 30s, beating Manny Pacquiao in 2015 in boxing’s most lucrative £500m fight.
He retired in 2017 after a cash-grab crossover clash against the UFC’s Conor McGregor – earning him another £250m.
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Retirement
Tyson became a pop culture icon after hanging up the gloves, featuring in Movies like The Hangover and building a cannabis empire.
But he first made a comeback in 2020 for an exhibition with fellow great Roy Jones Jr – drawing over eight rounds.
Four years later and Tyson made the shock announcement that he was returning to fight as a professional for the first time – against Jake Paul.
And he was beaten last November by the YouTuber-turned-boxer over eight shorter rounds of two minutes – with 100 MILLION watching on Netflix.
Mayweather meanwhile has boxed in several exhibitions against stars of the boxing, MMA and social media world – including Paul’s brother Logan.
His last was in August 2024 against the grandson of notorious New York crime boss John Gotti – going the distance without a winner.
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Styles and physical attributes
Tyson’s peek-a-boo form is one of the most recognisable in boxing history – bobbing and weaving at a rapid pace.
Prime Iron Mike had frightening speed and power, ending his career with 44 KOs in 50 fights.
Mayweather – plagued with brittle hands – was often criticised for his safety-first and defence-minded style – famously adopting the shoulder roll.
Amazingly, you could count on one hand how many times the unbeaten icon was hit and hurt during his career.
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But during Mayweather’s younger days, he was a rapid combination puncher scoring knockdowns and KOs at will with his pin-point punching.
His need to protect his injured hands and undefeated record – while fighting up in weight against larger opponents – led to his change to a cautious style.
What makes the supposed exhibition – and others like it – so bonkers is the disparity in size and weight.
Tyson was a 5ft 10in heavyweight who weighed over 16 stone in his pomp while Mayweather is barley 5ft 8in and at his best around 11st.
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Who has the better legacy?
In terms of fanfare, few can compete with Tyson but in terms of resumes, Mayweather did not call himself The Best Ever for no reason.
Tyson was a two-time heavyweight champ with decent wins against Berbick, Bruno and an ageing Larry Holmes.
But on the big occasions – against Holyfield and Lewis – he fell short.
His ferocious style always trumped the substance of his record of wins and championships.
Mayweather meanwhile beat 16 world champion before his final fight against McGregor.
That included Hall of Fame names like Pacquiao, De La Hoya, Cotto, Mosley and Judah.
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He also gave away weight in these bouts – often being undersized but using his skills to overcome the deficit.
That is the true mark of a pound-for-pound great.
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