The many lives of Mike Tyson will add another chapter Friday.

At 58 years old, Tyson will fight Jake Paul, the 27-year-old YouTube-star-turned-boxer who wasn’t even born when Tyson’s career was in its prime. It’s Tyson’s first sanctioned professional match since 2005.

The Tyson who will enter the ring at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas, on Friday is a far cry from the Tyson whose pro career ended 19 years ago, when he quit on his stool before the start of the seventh round in a loss to Kevin McBride. He’s an even further cry from the Tyson who infamously bit Evander Holyfield’s ear, the Tyson who spent three years in prison or the “Iron Mike” who dominated the sport in the 1980s.

This Tyson is a shell of the fighter he once was — though he retains the confidence of a championship competitor: “I’m not gonna lose,” he said this week.

MIKE TYSON HITS JAKE PAUL AT THE WEIGH IN #PaulTyson
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As Tyson prepares for his comeback against boxing’s viral star of today, his career beckons for a rewind. Here’s a look at Tyson’s evolution by the decade.

The 1980s: The rise of ‘Iron Mike’

At 18 years old, Tyson won his professional debut with a first-round TKO against Hector Mercedes on March 6, 1985 in Albany, N.Y. From there, his rise was meteoric.

Tyson fought 15 times in a 10-month span in 1985, winning all by knockout. He fought 13 more times in 1986, becoming the youngest heavyweight champ in history (at 20 years, 145 days old) with a second round full of vicious left hooks that sent Trevor Berbick — the last fighter to defeat Muhammad Ali — stumbling around the ring.

“I believe sincerely that Mike creates an aura of invincibility,” Tyson’s co-manager at the time, Jim Jacobs, said afterward. “I have watched Trevor Berbick on tapes. And this Trevor Berbick was nothing like the Trevor Berbick I have watched. He fought as if he was in slow motion.”

By Tyson’s 21st birthday, he was 30-0 with the unified WBA and WBC heavyweight titles. In fight No. 31, Tyson defeated Tony Tucker to win the IBF title and become the first heavyweight to hold all three major belts. He went on to defend those belts six more times by the end of the decade — all via knockout. His finish of Michael Spinks, 91 seconds into the first round, is considered by many to be the peak of Tyson’s career.

The numbers for Tyson’s 37 fights in the 1980s were staggering: He won 33 by knockout, and 17 of those in the first round.

The early 1990s: An upset, and a conviction

Tyson was a 42-to-1 favorite and seemingly a safe bet to go to 38-0 when he took on Buster Douglas in February 1990. Instead, the Tokyo Dome was treated to one of the largest upsets in sports history when Douglas knocked him out in the 10th round. Douglas had just been TKOed by Tucker three years earlier and was relegated to the undercard the same night Tyson dominated Spinks.

Behind the scenes, Tyson’s personal life had begun crumbling leading up to the upset. His first wife, actress Robin Givens, said in a televised interview that being married to Tyson was “torture, pure hell,” and filed for divorce, citing spousal abuse. Tyson also split with his manager and trainer ahead of the bout.

After the loss, Tyson rebounded with four wins in 12 months to re-establish his standing and set up a match with heavyweight champ Evander Holyfield, but that fight wouldn’t happen for five years. In 1992, Tyson was convicted of raping an 18-year-old woman and was sentenced to six years in prison. He would serve three before his release on parole in March 1995.

The late 1990s: Tyson vs. Holyfield

Tyson returned to the ring in August 1995 to much fanfare and won back the WBC and WBA titles within 13 months to finally set up the heavyweight clash with Holyfield. But Holyfield, seen as over the hill by 1996, produced a stunning TKO of Tyson in the eleventh round.

A rematch was quickly arranged for June 1997. The highly anticipated Tyson-Holyfield II set a then-PPV record of 1.99 million buys.

Those watching on PPV and inside the MGM Grand saw one of the most bewildering moments in professional sports history. As the third round drew to a close, Tyson grabbed Holyfield multiple times and bit both of Holyfield’s ears, severing part of Holyfield’s right ear and ending the bout with a Tyson disqualification.

Holyfield touching his right ear after being bit by Tyson in their 1997 match. (Photo: Jeff Haynes / AFP via Getty Images)

Tyson’s boxing license in Nevada was later suspended, a ruling followed by other state athletic commissions. It would be over 18 months until the license was reinstated, and it was during that time when Tyson first dipped his toe in pop culture, appearing at WrestleMania XIV.

The decade ended with Tyson returning to the ring to knock out Francois Botha in January 1999 and then serving three and a half months in prison for assaulting two drivers in an incident from 1998, before coming back to fight Orlin Norris in October 1999. That bout was ruled a no contest.

The 2000s: Boxing retirement, pop culture emergence

At 33 years old, Tyson tried to mount a late-career resurgence. After knocking out Lou Savarese in June 2000, Tyson called out heavyweight champ Lennox Lewis, infamously stating, “I want your heart, I want to eat your children.”

His opportunity versus Lewis finally came in June 2002. Lewis largely controlled the fight, as the champion survived Tyson’s round one onslaught and controlled the pace with strong jabs. With less than a minute left in the eighth round, a Lewis right cross landed flush and put Tyson on his back for the count.

The loss accelerated the end of Tyson’s professional career. His last pro win came against Clifford Etienne in 2003.

His final professional bout — until Friday’s against Paul — came against McBride in 2005. Tyson, who struggled mightily with his stamina and the height difference, managed to keep the fight close on the scorecards, but then was issued a two-point penalty for head butting. The sixth round ended with Tyson slumped on the mat after a slip, and the match ended without Tyson ever getting off his stool to answer the seventh round.

“I do not have the guts to be in this sport anymore,” Tyson said afterward. “I don’t want to disrespect the sport that I love. My heart is not into this anymore. I’m sorry for the fans who paid for this. I wish I could have done better.”

Tyson on the mat after slipping at the end of the sixth round versus McBride. Tyson would quit the bout before the start of the seventh. (Photo: Paul J. Richards / AFP via Getty Images)

Within a few years, Tyson found a second career — through movies, television and entertainment.

He made an appearance in the movie “Rocky Balboa” in 2006, but his breakout moment came in “The Hangover” in 2009, when he air drummed to Phil Collins’ “In the Air Tonight” before knocking out Zach Galifianakis’ character, Alan. He later made cameos on “How I Met Your Mother,” “Dancing with the Stars” and in a Foot Locker commercial in which he apologizes to Holyfield for biting his ear and embraces his old rival.

The 2020s: A return to the ring

In 2020, Tyson agreed to battle Roy Jones Jr. in an eight-round exhibition, a bout sanctioned in California. Both boxers were over 50, and the match was competed under specific instructions that it should not go beyond “the boundaries of a competitive boxing exhibition,” meaning neither opponent should attempt to knock the other out.

The fight was scored a split draw despite Tyson significantly outlanding Jones. On the same card, Paul appeared in his second boxing match, knocking out former NBA player Nate Robinson.

Netflix announced Friday’s Tyson-Paul bout in March 2024. It was initially supposed to take place in July. In April, the bout was sanctioned by the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulations to be a professional fight consisting of eight two-minute rounds fought with 14-ounce gloves.

In late May, Tyson suffered an ulcer flareup while flying from Miami to Los Angeles, forcing the fight to be delayed. According to Tyson, the ulcer was over two inches large in his stomach and resulted in him losing 26 pounds. On the flight, he said he threw up blood.

“I asked the doctor, ‘Am I going to die?’” Tyson said in the preview series, “Countdown: Paul vs. Tyson.” “And she didn’t say no. She said we have options, though. That’s when I got nervous.”

Required reading

(Photo: Timothy A. Clary / AFP via Getty Images)

A college football player died this week after being struck by a semitruck in a wrong-way crash in Missouri, according to reports and law enforcement. 

The Culver-Stockton College community was mourning the death of 18-year-old Antoni Wrobel, a freshman quarterback for the Wildcats, after he died late Tuesday night in a wrong-way crash in Lewis County. 

“We are deeply saddened to announce the passing of Freshman QB Tony Wrobel,” the school said in a statement on social media. 

“He was a unique and outgoing spirit who had a passionate love for his teammates, football, and life itself. Please keep his family, teammates, and our community in your thoughts and prayers at this time.”

Citing a crash report from the Missouri State Highway Patrol, KDSK reported that Wrobel was driving southbound in the northbound lane of U.S. 61 at around 11:30 p.m. when he struck a semitruck driven by  a 35-year-old. 

ALABAMA HIGH SCHOOL FOOTBALL PLAYER, 14, DIED FROM HEART CONDITION, AUTOPSY REVEALS

Wrobel was pronounced dead at the crash site, according to the crash report. It was not immediately clear why he was on the wrong side of the road at the time of the crash. Police could not immediately be reached for comment. 

Wrobel, who appears to go by the name Tony, committed to Culver-Stockton in February. He previously played for the Warsaw Eagles, an American football team that plays in the Polish Football League.

Wrobel committed to Culver-Stockton College in February  (David Madison/Getty Images)

The team also shared a message on Instagram after Wrobel’s death. 

“This wasn’t how your American adventure was supposed to end. It lasted too short,” a translation of the statement said. 

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Twelve years later, the chants hadn’t changed.

Back in 2012, Luis Cruz became a cult hero around Dodger Stadium. He arrived as an under-the-radar journeyman, a Mexican-born utility player signed to a minor league contract in the 2011 offseason. Then he emerged as an unexpected fan favorite on the Dodgers’ second-place 2012 team, batting .297 with 20 doubles, 40 RBIs and a signature reception from the crowd whenever he came to the plate.

“Cruuuuuz!”

Three months ago, Cruz heard those chants again.

Though he never replicated the highs of his 2012 season, and was out of both the Dodgers organization and the major leagues entirely by the end of 2013, Cruz has remained a beloved figure at Chavez Ravine over the decade since.

So much so that, when he was one of several dozen former Dodgers welcomed back for the club’s player alumni weekend in August, it was the 40-year-old who played just 123 total games for the team that received one of the louder ovations, with pockets of the crowd chanting “Cruuuuz!” as if he’d never left.

“I was like, ‘Wow, this is unbelievable,’” Cruz said. “Because they still remembered. I played there in 2012. It’s been 12 years. But they made me feel welcome. The true Dodger fans, they remember everything.”

This week, the Dodgers officially welcomed Cruz back as a member of the organization, hiring him as a color analyst for the team’s Spanish-language radio broadcasts alongside Pepe Yñiguez and José Mota.

“The level of excitement these couple days have been really, really high,” Cruz said in a phone interview Thursday from Mexico, where he was finishing his playing career in his native country’s winter baseball league. “Like in 2012, [the Dodgers have] embraced me and made me feel welcome. As soon as they announced it, the first call I got was Pepe and José welcoming me to the team.”

The social media response blew Cruz away, too.

“My Instagram was crazy,” Cruz said with a laugh. “A lot of fans saying ‘Cruuuz, welcome back!’ It was so many messages that I’m like, ‘Wow, it’s been 12 years.’ But those are true fans.”

Cruz’s arrival with the Dodgers as a player in 2012 was memorable, setting the stage for the best run of Cruz’s extended professional career (which included a four-season stint in Japan from 2014 to 2017, then seven seasons in Mexico’s winter league since).

After being called up in early July that season, Cruz quickly became the Dodgers’ everyday third baseman. In 73 starts, he collected two or more hits 23 times. On a team that remained in the playoff hunt until the season’s final weeks, only Matt Kemp posted a higher batting average.

“For me, it was like a dream come true,” Cruz said. “Being Mexican, and going to the States, and making it to the big leagues and getting to the Dodgers, it’s a big deal … When I got the chance to play in Los Angeles, that’s when I really felt like I was in the big leagues. It was my shot.”

One of Cruz’s most important mentors that year: late Dodgers pitching great, and then Spanish-language broadcaster, Fernando Valenzuela.

Long before Cruz got to Los Angeles, he had family connections with the Dodgers icon. Cruz is from Navojoa, Mexico, where Valenzuela first began his professional career in the late ‘70s. Cruz’s father played with Valenzuela back in those days, becoming such good friends with the left-handed pitcher that Valenzuela would occasionally join the Cruz family for meals at their home. Cruz himself had been double-A teammates with Valenzuela’s son in the San Diego Padres system in 2006.

So, when Cruz showed up in the Dodgers clubhouse in 2012, Valenzuela became one of his biggest backers, offering him daily doses of encouragement and support.

“He was a big part for me in 2012,” Cruz said. “We always talked about: ‘Hey, stay concentrated. Just pretend like you’re playing in Navojoa. Pretend like you’re playing in the backyard. Just relax.’”

Cruz will try to take the same mindset into the beginning of his broadcasting career, joining a Spanish-language booth still reeling from Valenzuela’s death last month.

“Fernando was Fernando, and I’m not trying to take anybody’s place,” Cruz said. “He’s always gonna be remembered as one of the greatest pitchers for the Dodgers. And for me, I’m just trying to do my job and learn … I know it’s big shoes to fill. But I’m just looking for an opportunity for me to do my best.”

In Los Angeles, he’ll do so with a fan base that never forgot Cruz’s 2012 contributions, welcoming him back to the Dodgers with open arms and throwback chants.

“Maybe they were little kids [back in 2012], or maybe they were young guys and now they’re older like me,” Cruz said. “And they just — I don’t know — made me feel really good, welcoming me that way.”