Everyone knows that in boxing, a fighter will have several tune-up matches following a lengthy layoff to get back in shape before competing in a high-profile bout. While “Iron” Mike Tyson is making his much-anticipated return to the ring in September against Roy “Captain Hook” Jones Jr., “The Baddest Man on the Planet” has chosen a great white shark for his warm-up fight to kick off Discovery Channel’s Shark Week 2020.
That’s right, Tyson is going to channel his inner Muhammad Ali and fight underwater against a true heavyweight who can match him bite for bite. This bout will take place in the second hour of the August 9 season debut of Shark Week, which began in 1988.
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- Date/Time: August 9, 9 p.m. ET
- Arena: The Deep Blue Sea
- Where to Watch: Discovery Channel
Tyson vs Great White
We all remember 2017 when Michael Phelps raced a “shark” and it was a complete blowout. This time around, I’m not sure our finned friend will be as lucky. Although there isn’t an official betting line for this bout and I’m not even sure if it is a sanctioned bout, I’m going to make the line and put the shark as the -200 favorite and Iron Mike as a +150 underdog.
Now, many people may see this as value on the shark, but if history tells us anything, he is prone to take a dive.
| Fighter | Odds |
|---|---|
| Mike Tyson | +150 |
| Great White Shark | -200 |
Headgear must be worn in this matchup as both competitors have had a previous bad history of biting in a fight. Yes, the shark should have the speed advantage, though he struggles to throw punches due to a lack of flexibility.
The biggest factor could be the lack of aggression by the great white. According to Wikipedia, a person has a 1-in-11.5 million chance of getting attacked by a great white shark, so I think Tyson will stay on the outside, work his jab and cash as a hypothetical underdog.
Shark Week 2020
In the 32nd edition of Discovery Channel’s Shark Week, there will be nightly shows of entertainment and education for all ages and walks of life. As always, there will be some high-profile stars such as Shaq, Adam DeVine and Will Smith, in addition to Tyson.
The nightly schedule will begin at 8 p.m. ET and run until midnight from August 9 to 15 while August 16, the conclusion of Shark Week, will have just a two-hour finale of Naked and Afraid of Sharks 2 for a total of 20 hours of shark content.
You can see a full breakdown of the scheduling for Shark Week here.
