Mike Tyson's old trainer said the ex-champ could knock out Deontay Wilder 'in a minute' if he returned to boxing today, aged 53
- Mike Tyson "would kill" the top tier heavyweights in boxing today like Tyson Fury and Deontay Wilder.
- That's according to one of Tyson's former trainers, Jeff Fenech, who said if the 53-year-old returned to the sport today, he'd knock out Wilder in a single round.
- "I'd guarantee that if Mike Tyson trained for six weeks, he'd knock Wilder out in a minute," Fenech said.
- Visit Insider's homepage for more stories.
Mike Tyson's old trainer said the former heavyweight champion could knockout Deontay Wilder really easily if he returned to boxing today, aged 53.
Jeff Fenech, who coached Tyson from early 2005, appeared to ridicule Wilder's skill-set and said if Tyson Fury could finish the American, then Mike Tyson could, too.
Renowned for his extraordinary punching power, Wilder lost his unbeaten record in February when Fury shook-up the boxing world by abandoning an awkward box-and-move strategy he had seemingly perfected through his career, to instead close the distance on Wilder and out-bang the banger.
Insider called it "an aggressive masterclass" when reporting ringside at the MGM Grand Garden in Las Vegas, after watching Fury finish Wilder in seven rounds.
But whatever Fury can do, Mike Tyson can do better, Fenech told Sporting News.
"Boxing's not the same now," Fenech said. "I'd guarantee that if Mike Tyson trained for six weeks, he'd knock Wilder out in a minute."
"He would hit them. If these guys are getting knocked out by Tyson Fury — who's a great fighter, but not a huge puncher — Tyson would kill these guys. They're not on the same level today."
The greatest period of Tyson's career was in the late 1980s and early 1990s, when he knocked out Trevor Berbick to become the youngest heavyweight champion in history, then beat fighters like Michael Spinks, Tony Tubbs, and Donovan Ruddock.
In the mid 2000s, he conclusively lost to lower tier opponents Danny Williams and Kevin McBride, athletes he wouldn't have needed to leave first gear to finish earlier in his career.
But 15 years after being stopped in six rounds against McBride, Fenech feels Tyson could trounce Wilder. Even Fury, too.
"'Mike, today … I reckon if he trained he could still beat these guys. Fury's got these other skills, but Deontay Wilder's got a punch and nothing else. If you punch him, it's over. And Mike don't miss."
Read more: