Mayweather vs Tyson Set for April
Floyd Mayweather Jr. and Mike Tyson officially agreed to fight in Congo on April 25. This exhibition bout promises to draw worldwide attention and could be one of 2026's biggest sporting spectacles.
- The choice of the Democratic Republic of Congo as the venue is a direct nod to the iconic 1974 "Rumble in the Jungle," where Muhammad Ali defeated George Foreman in Kinshasa to reclaim the heavyweight title in what is considered one of the greatest sporting events of the 20th century. - There is a significant age and weight disparity between the two fighters; Mike Tyson will be 59 years old on fight night, while Floyd Mayweather will be 49. In recent bouts, Tyson has weighed nearly 229 pounds, creating a potential 70-80 pound weight difference over Mayweather, who weighed under 161 pounds for his last fight. - This bout is an exhibition and will not count towards either fighter's professional record, which protects Mayweather's perfect 50-0 legacy. The fight is reportedly scheduled for eight two-minute rounds, shorter than the standard three-minute rounds for professional fights. - The fighters are expected to use heavier 14 or 16-ounce gloves, compared to the 8 or 10-ounce gloves typically used in professional bouts. This is a safety measure intended to reduce the impact of punches, accounting for the age and weight differences. - Since retiring from professional boxing, Mayweather has participated in numerous high-profile exhibition matches against opponents ranging from YouTuber Logan Paul to former sparring partner Don Moore and the grandson of mob boss John Gotti III. - Tyson has also been active in exhibitions, most notably fighting Roy Jones Jr. to a draw in a highly successful 2020 event. He more recently lost a unanimous decision to Jake Paul in a November 2024 bout. - At 20 years old, Mike Tyson became the youngest boxer in history to win a heavyweight title, and he was the first heavyweight to simultaneously hold the WBA, WBC, and IBF titles. - The original "Rumble in the Jungle" was a major cultural event intended to promote solidarity between Africans and African Americans; it was financed by Zaire's then-dictator, Mobutu Sese Seko, who paid each fighter a record $5 million.
