Mike Tyson set to retire after loss

June 12, 2005

Mike Tyson's boxing career appears to be over after the infamous fighter became fatigued against his journeyman opponent Saturday. Tyson later told the media he was quitting the sport to become a missionary.

Despite being heavily favored, the 38-year old Tyson became desperate in the sixth round and resorted to his trademark bizarre tactics against Irishman Kevin McBride (33-4-1). When an attempt to break his opponent's arm failed to end the fight, Tyson landed a head-butt that opened a cut near McBride's left eye. Still desperate and low on stamina, Tyson proceeded to hit below the belt before sagging to the canvas in the closing seconds of the round. When Tyson refused to answer the bell for the seventh, veteran referee Joe Cortez "looked stunned," according to the Boston Globe's Ron Borges. Tyson led on two cards and trailed on a third when the fight was called, but he was clearly out of gas and momentum was not with him.

"I do not have the stomach for this," Tyson told Showtime interviewer Jim Gray after leaving the ring. "I don't have the guts to be in this sport anymore. My heart is not into this anymore." He also apologized to the 15,472 paid attendance at the MCI Center "whom had roared his name when he entered the ring less than an hour earlier," according to Borges.

The $5 million payday will erase only a fraction of an enormous debt that caused Tyson to declare bankruptcy in 2003. One report says he owes more than $40 million.

The disgraced former champion also told reporters he is "going to look into my missionary work," according to Reuters. "There is some Christian missionary work that was interested in letting me come to Bosnia, go to Rwanda, go to different countries to help with aid and food for people that are in dire need."