Would Mike Tyson’s Alleged $700 Million Boxing Match Offer Surpass His Old Net Worth?
Mike Tyson used to have a lot of money to spend back in his boxing glory days. And although he’s more than financially comfortable now, he doesn’t make near the amount of money he used to. But would his recent alleged boxing offer give him the same net worth he once had?
Would Mike Tyson be richer than his younger self if he made $700 million?
Tyson already made a hefty sum thanks to his recent boxing match with Jake Paul. According to CBS Sports, Tyson took home $20 million. His Netflix payday would’ve bumped up his net worth quite if Forbes is to be believed. The former heavyweight champion was already reportedly worth $20 million. Still, his current salary paled in comparison to what his past earnings once were. The publication estimated that Tyson’s net worth when he was at the height of his boxing popularity could’ve been as high as $400 million. But Tyson would lose a large chunk of those earnings because of irresponsible spending, eventually ending up in massive debt.
However, a recent offer made to Tyson would more than reimburse the boxing legend. Saudi Royal Turki Alalshikh offered Tyson $700 million to fight Paul in a rematch. But Tyson would only be able to claim the massive fortune if he knocked out Jake Paul within three minutes.
“Jake Paul is a joke. I am giving Mike Tyson $700 million if he agrees to fight Jake Paul this time in a real fight and wins by KO in a maximum of three minutes,” Alalshikh said according to Hot 97.
If the offer was legitimate, $700 million would put his net worth far higher than it was throughout the 90s. But it’s worth noting Tyson’s old net worth would’ve still been higher if adjusted for inflation. Taking that into account, the boxer made $908 million according to Sportico.
Mike Tyson shared that he didn’t fight Jake Paul for the payday
Given Tyson’s comments about his fight, there might not be any amount of money that could lure him back in the ring. Speaking with Rosie Perez for Interview, Tyson asserted that money was the furthest thing on his mind when he accepted Paul’s challenge. He considered himself already in good financial standing, so the millions he’d make for the Paul fight wouldn’t have mattered.
“I’m Mike Tyson,” he told Perez. “I want to do this. This fight is not going to change my life or my finances or nothing. So I want to test myself and see, ‘Can I really do it?’”
It was a far cry away from how Tyson felt almost two decades ago when he fought Kevin McBride in 2005. During the match, Tyson realized he wasn’t as passionate about fighting as he once was, and only laced up his gloves for the money.
“I’m just fighting to take care of my bills, basically. I don’t have the stomach for this anymore,” he said in a clip posted by The Boxing Vault.
He further confided that he wanted to focus on a life away from boxing, a decision partially inspired by his children.
But although Tyson was confident in his ability to beat Paul, he seemed to have nothing but respect for the fighter. Ironically, Paul was known for rubbing many people the wrong way, but Tyson found that to be a good thing. Especially when it came to the promotional sport of boxing.
“Whenever you’re doing something right, there’s always going to be haters, okay? If you don’t have any haters, you have nothing. Hate attracts more money than love, I’ve noticed in my career,” he added.
The controversial fighter also confided that he had little concern for his legacy when accepting the match. The word wasn’t even something the boxer believed in all that much.
“What do I care about my legacy? I never knew what a legacy was and people started throwing that word around so loosely. A legacy sounds like ego to me. I’m going to be dead soon. Who cares what somebody is going to think about me when I’m dead? We don’t talk about Charles Manson. No one cares about nobody when they’re dead and gone,” he said.
