Mike Tyson appeared to thoroughly enjoy ‘Fatal Fury: City of Wolves’ as it unfolded in New York’s Times Square. He was dressed for the occasion. Wearing a resplendent blue suit adorned with floral designs, the boxing legend sat alongside Shakur Stevenson, Terence Crawford, and other icons of the sport. So Iron Mike shared his thoughts in an Instagram post about the event, now etched into Riyadh Season history.
But Tyson’s take didn’t echo the public sentiment. The headline bout saw Ryan Garcia suffer a humiliating loss to Rolando Romero. Devin Haney and Jose Ramirez followed with what many labeled a dull, lackluster fight. Teofimo Lopez‘s dominant performance over Arnold Barboza Jr. may have been the night’s only true highlight. Coupled with the lack of public ticket sales, the event received sharp criticism from fans and pundits alike. Mike Tyson, however, saw it differently. Seated among an elite crowd, the youngest heavyweight champion in boxing history even offered some colorful commentary.
Mike Tyson stood apart on the Times Square fight night
Tyson posted a collage of photos to Instagram. He wrote, “Great fights and an epic fight night in.” The pictures featured him with Turki Alalshikh and officials, sharing a laugh with Terence Crawford, and sitting ringside with KSI. To see just how much Iron Mike enjoyed the show, look no further than his ringside reaction during the Garcia-Romero fight. As shared by Ring Magazine, Tyson was captured teasing Garcia after a brutal second-round knockdown via Romero’s left hook. “He’s on the phone; talk to him, Ryan!” Tyson shouted, sending Shakur Stevenson, seated next to him, into uncontrollable laughter.
Given Tyson’s deep ties with fighters and organizers alike, his perspective is, to some extent, understandable. As someone who’s stepped into the ring and lived through its brutal highs and lows, he likely sees the game through a more empathetic lens.
If you’re going to call it out, call it out for everyone
But reactions outside the ring painted a starkly different picture. From dreary to regrettable, criticism poured in for an event that, by most accounts, fell short of expectations. And its limited live audience of just around 300 select guests didn’t help matters either. But one might ask, is it really justified? Who is to blame – the fighters or the organizers?
LAS VEGAS, NV – SEPTEMBER 26: Mike Tyson at the Tyson Fury vs. Francis Ngannou open workout on September 26, 2023, at Ngannous private gym in Las Vegas, NV. Photo by Amy Kaplan/Icon Sportswire BOXING: SEP 26 Francis Ngannou Workout EDITORIAL USE ONLY Icon2309262623
Boxing insider Rick Glaser offered a pointed take. Reflecting on both the Times Square and Riyadh Season events, he shifted the blame away from the organizers: “Don’t blame the guy that put up big money for what were supposed to be great fights; blame the fighters!!!” he tweeted.
Perhaps that’s where Mike Tyson’s perspective stands out. Unlike critics on the outside, he understands that even the best fighters have off nights. He knows the physical and emotional toll of the sport and may have seen effort where others only saw underperformance.
So, what do you think? Do you side with Mike Tyson’s view of the Times Square event, or were the critics justified?
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