Former heavyweight champion Oliver ‘the Atomic Bull’ McCall is making a controversial return to the ring at age 59 just says after 58-year-old Mike Tyson‘s doomed bout with 27-year-old Jake Paul.
Perhaps trying to capitalize on the public’s sudden fascination with boxing’s senior circuit, Bulgarian-based digital-streaming service Triller TV will broadcast a main event between McCall (59-14) and little-known 54-year-old journeyman Stacy Frazier (16-22) from Nashville.
‘What the hell is happening to the sport??’ one fan asked online, echoing a complaint made by countless others in the wake of Friday’s Tyson-Paul debacle.
Tyson showed his age – and perhaps the ill-effects of ulcer issues – as he was dominated by the former YouTube star at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas.
The former ‘Baddest Man on the Planet’ struggled to keep up with the younger Paul while lumbering around the ring on a knee brace. Ultimately Tyson landed just 18 punches while fighting eight two-minute rounds.
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Oliver McCall (left in 2015 and right, at 59, on Monday) is making his return to the ring
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A 58-year-old Tyson is seen between rounds during Friday’s loss to Jake Paul in Texas
‘I cut it off because I couldn’t watch anymore,’ NBA legend Magic Johnson wrote as the former heavyweight champion was losing a unanimous decision on Netflix . ‘It’s sad to see Mike Tyson like this.’
YouTuber-turned-boxer KSI went so far as to describe the ‘sad’ fight as ‘elder abuse,’ which is a dramatic turnaround for an event that had been widely anticipated around the world.
Even Paul admitted he resisted the urge to go for the knockout out of fear of hurting Tyson.
‘I wanted to give the fans a show, but I didn’t want to hurt someone that didn’t need to be hurt,’ Paul said.
Now fans area already squeamish about watching McCall, who famously upset Lennox Lewis in 1994 before infamously crying during their 1997 rematch. Referee Mills Lane ultimately stopped the latter fight as McCall refused to defend himself in the fourth and fifth rounds.
‘Boxing is getting pitiful smh,’ one fan wrote on X.
‘This needs to stop,’ another added. ‘Simple as that.’
More than a few commenters joked that ‘Jake Paul will fight the winner.’
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McCall cries as he returns to his corner at the end of the third against Lennox Lewis in 1997
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Mike Tyson (black gloves) fights Jake Paul (silver gloves) at AT&T Stadium on Friday night
But the majority of respondents were concerned about the safety of the fighters.
‘It’s a matter of time before someone gets seriously hurt!’ one fan wrote.
McCall has battled demons both inside and outside the ring.
While he did resurrect his career after the crying incident in 1997 and ultimately upset Henry Akinwande in 2001, he dropped five of his last 10 fights with the most recent defeat coming in 2019.
He’s also faced several arrests and stints in rehab for drug issues. In 2006, Nashville police say they used a taser on McCall.
Another depressing fact about this week’s fight: McCall’s opponent, Frazier, has won just two of his last 19 fights.
‘This is becoming a joke,’ remarked one boxing fan on X.
