Though apprehensions still linger, that a mild curiosity about the Floyd Mayweather vs. Mike Tyson match has surfaced cannot be denied. One only needs to look at the comments and reactions that streamed in when Mayweather shared a post that teased multiple venue options for the 2026 exhibition against the former heavyweight champion.
While he retired in 2017, Floyd Mayweather has been fairly active in the exhibition circuit. He fought John Gotti III last August. Mike Tyson, on the other hand, boasts a few in his record. However, he switched over to face Jake Paul in a professional fight a few months after the Mayweather-Gatti bout. It was in 2020 that he faced legend Roy Jones Jr. in an action-packed friendly.
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Which city’s stepping into the ring? Floyd Mayweather leaves it to the fans
“Where should this event take place?” Floyd Mayweather asked. The post, featuring a fight poster, flaunted a site menu. It began with Tokyo. Then Dubai and LA followed. Names such as China, Africa, New York, and Miami soon emerged. A few surprising locations also appeared.
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‘Hong Kong, Macau, the South of France, Qatar, Bahrain, and Kuwait.‘ It’s a big list. But as it appeared, quite a few fans had made up their minds. Clearly, despite some of the criticisms it has attracted, the match has generated considerable excitement among followers.
Though Mayweather and Tyson may have long retired from professional boxing, their star power persists to this day. Considering it’s an exhibition, it could be a no-no-scoring bout, which may not affect their records at all. Still, fans wouldn’t want to miss an opportunity to watch two of boxing’s biggest names stepping in for a dance.
And suggestions came out in droves.
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The crowd roars back with answers
Enthusiasm got the better of this fan: “Let’s make this money, champ… Bring the match to Lagos.” Considering Mayweather’s successful 2023 Motherland Tour, where he visited South Africa and Zimbabwe to support youth empowerment through boxing, a match in Africa’s largest city may pay off.
Still to another, only two choices remained: “Only 2 places make sense. Vegas or Dubai.” For those who know, Sin City is not only Mayweather’s hometown but also the home of boxing in America, and perhaps the world. However, with some of the marquee combat sports events taking place in Dubai, the Middle Eastern megapolis has emerged as a good, if not better, alternative. Mayweather’s 2022 exhibition against Deji Olatunji took place at the city’s Coca-Cola Arena!
This fan decided to drive home a bitter truth. “Everyone will be watching!!! Especially the ones that say they won’t,” they said. It could be true. Mayweather vs. Tyson has received scathing criticism. But as it usually happens, many secretly turn up to watch the bout they slammed so vociferously.
To another, Ryan Garcia’s famous words resonated. “Now boxing is literally WWE somehow 😢,” they said. Garcia poured out his heart while speaking about the Tank vs. Jake Paul exhibition. Though the matchups are put in place to entertain, more often than not they look like pro wrestling fixtures.
It was back to the Sin City. “It’s gonna. Be in Vegas or NY, idk why they gassin it,” this fan said. New York sounds like a good option. Considering Mayweather has never fought at the Big Apple and Iron Mike is from Brooklyn, a fight could attract a huge crowd.
Going over other comments, Las Vegas seems to be leading the race.
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Fans shouldn’t forget. Mike Tyson vs. Roy Jones Jr. took place in Los Angeles. And it turned out to be a huge PPV success. With over 1.6 million buyouts, the exhibition between two icons garnered $80 million in revenue. So fans will definitely rush in to see two of boxing’s greats slug it out – even if it’s a friendly.
What’s your take on the Mayweather vs. Tyson exhibition?