George Foreman: Mike Tyson could reclaim heavyweight title if “things fall into place”

George Foreman believes boxing legend Mike Tyson is capable of reclaiming a boxing heavyweight title—even at 54 years of age.

Tyson returned to the ring last weekend, battling fellow legend Roy Jones Jr. to an unofficial draw in an eight-round exhibition. While Tyson certainly looked slower than he did in his prime, he surprised many onlookers by delivering an extremely impressive performance nonetheless.

Foreman, a legendary boxer in his own right, was among those impressed by Tyson—so much so that he believes the 54-year-old could reclaim a heavyweight title under the right circumstances.

“If he gets in shape like he’s in now, and then gets his timing back, and all the other things fall into place, he can have an opportunity to fight for the title,” Foreman told USA TODAY Sports on Sunday. “If he can be managed right, a champion, the right champion, will come to him. And if the right one comes, he can knock him out.

“Tyson looked great,” Foreman added. “He really did. And Roy Jones had to use every old skill out of the book to keep himself from being knocked out.

“I just couldn’t believe what I saw. And that was just an exhibition. Just think if (Tyson) had some activity the last two years. He’d be in line to be the champion of the world again at 54, 55.”

Foreman, like many, was impressed to see that Tyson seemed to possess much of his legendary power, even in his 50s. He was also impressed by the way the the legend responded to the brief patches of adversity he experienced in the fight.

“What impressed me most, he missed a lot of shots,” Foreman said of Tyson. “He found himself out of position. He recaptured it and got back on track. Roy Jones had him confused the first round or two, and he fought through that.

“That impressed me more than anything he did. Keeping his mind in the game. He almost lost his cool a couple of times and he patted (Jones) on the shoulder and let him go.”

Do you think Mike Tyson is capable of reclaiming a major boxing title at 54 years old?