Mayweather-Tyson Exhibition Set for April
Floyd Mayweather Jr. and Mike Tyson have tentatively agreed to an exhibition match in the Democratic Republic of Congo on April 25, 2026. While not yet official, the prospect of these two boxing legends sharing the ring again has generated global buzz in the combat sports community.
- The choice of the Democratic Republic of Congo as the venue evokes the memory of the legendary "Rumble in the Jungle" heavyweight championship fight. In that 1974 bout, Muhammad Ali, as a 4-1 underdog, defeated the undefeated George Foreman in Kinshasa. - Both fighters have been active in exhibition matches since retiring from professional boxing. Mike Tyson, 59, most recently lost a decision to Jake Paul in a sanctioned professional fight in November 2024, while Floyd Mayweather, 49, last fought an exhibition against John Gotti III in August 2024. - Tyson confirmed the fight is happening and claimed that Mayweather initiated the challenge. In a statement, Tyson said, "This fight is something neither the world nor I ever thought would or could happen." - A significant weight difference exists between the two retired champions. Mayweather won titles in five weight classes, never competing heavier than light middleweight (154 lbs), whereas Tyson was a heavyweight for his entire career. - Tyson's last major exhibition was against Roy Jones Jr. in November 2020, a bout that ended in a split draw. That event was a commercial success, reportedly selling over 1.6 million pay-per-view buys. - Exhibition matches do not count toward a boxer's professional record and often feature modified rules. These can include shorter rounds, heavier gloves, and sometimes no official winner is declared to prioritize safety and entertainment. - The two athletes have a history of public disagreement, with Tyson in 2015 calling Mayweather "delusional" for claiming to be the greatest boxer in history.
