Mike Tyson is afflicted with sciatica, a debilitating condition affecting the longest nerve in the body and causing immense pain in the legs. Two years ago at Miami Airport, Tyson was seen in a wheelchair. Tyson, two years away from entering the sexagenarian club, is not keeping well. You'd expect him to rest up in his cosy home, and bask in the glory of his glittering but not stain-free career. But to expect anything from this troubled genius is an act of futility. He'd disappoint you. He doesn't care about your expectations, and it's okay. He doesn't owe you anything, but he surely owes himself some things, not least the very gift of life that he seems to be in a hurry to discard, or why would a 58-year-old man agree to enter the ring against an opponent who's 21 years younger than him? 

Yes, Tyson is making a comeback, almost two decades since he played his last professional fight in 2005, against Jake Paul, the Youtuber-turned-boxer. 

The fight will take place at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, on 20th July. Are you not entertained? "No" should be the consensus. What's there to be entertained about the prospect of a fragile, sciaticatic old man entering into the ring? The violence inherent in boxing is never fun, especially in a clash as lopsided as this. If someone seen walking with a stick is ready to endure a fatal knock on his face for extra moolah, it's not a comment on the person alone, but also on the wretched state of the world where a man being beaten up in a circular ring generates such vicarious pleasure that millions are ready to tune in, and a streaming platform is already tantalised at the prospect of making cheap moolahs. It's a win-win situation for everyone except Tyson himself. 

Imagine how bad things have to be that even a dimwit like Conor McGregor makes sense when he opens his mouth. "Oh jeez,” said McGregor when he was asked about this mega-fight, adding that “It's a bit strange, you know. My interest is low." Four years ago, Tyson fought Jones Jr in an exhibition match, but there's no confirmation whether this would be an exhibition or a real fight. 

The tacit agreement for violence and aggression has always been a hotly contested point, but a new level of perversity has been reached in the last few years since the likes of Jake Paul and his ilks have hijacked combat sports. Jake Paul is going to make a lot of money, and so does Tyson, but at what cost?