EDDIE Hearn admitted that while he could see the appeal of Mike Tyson’s return to the big time, the former heavyweight king’s current state means it was tough to sit and witness what happened last night. Following a promising start, Tyson mostly lumbered around the ring for eight rounds, as his lack of mobility and withered gas tank were starkly revealed.
“I didn’t really watch it. I was in Katie’s changing room, she was getting stitched up. I watched the first 30 seconds, which were quite entertaining,” Hearn told Boxing News.
“And then afterwards, it’s horrible to watch. It was hard to watch. But it was always going to be like that. But it doesn’t have to be. They’re not making this for me. Look how many people turned up. Look how many people tuned in.
“So I can’t knock it. It’s just not for me. And that’s not disrespectful. I love boxing. I don’t want to see Mike Tyson stuck in quicksand. And he showed unbelievable heart, by the way. No one wants to see that happen to Mike Tyson.”
It had been a difficult week for Hearn, who spent much of his Texas visit advocating for Katie Taylor while beefing with the show promoter. A passionate post-win celebration after Taylor’s rematch victory was confirmed did not ingratiate Eddie to the locals any further.
“I felt we deserved it. But if it was a draw and if it was 95-94 the other way, you can see it. The emotion that came out was like, I didn’t think they’d give it to us,” he said.
“If we’re being honest, Katie’s not as fresh as she once was. And she’s having to grind out these victories with just the biggest heart you could ever see in the ring. And I thought it was another tremendous fight. When she got the decision, I was just overwhelmed with emotion to see her get it. I’m so happy for her.”
Eddie was also happy with the cards, which eked things out in Katie’s favour despite a point deduction and some closely contested sessions.
“I thought the scorecards were spot on, 95-94. I thought she just slightly outboxed her in the first half of the fight. I thought she out-fought her in the back end of the fight. Both fighters were fantastic. Serrano is a legend of the sport. She’s a tremendous fighter.”
