TMZ: Don King and Mike Tyson Ended Their Decades-Long Feud — Inside Their Renewed Relationship

The reconciliation between the two legends of American boxing comes amid the excitement and expectation around Tyson’s return to the ring next September.

88-year-old controversial boxing promoter Don King spent more than two decades in a feud with his former protégé, 54-year-old star boxer Mike Tyson, initially over the millions of dollars that King was accused of stealing from the fighter.

But as King revealed to TMZ recently, he and Tyson have finally made amends and the two are once again on speaking terms after the two had a “substantive call” on the phone. Now King has only beautiful things to say about Tyson.

"I love Mike Tyson. I have never had anything negative to say about Mike Tyson," King told the aforementioned news outlet.

“I just talked to him on his birthday on June 30th -- him and his beautiful wife and I wished them a happy birthday,” King added.

AN APOLOGY

The trouble between Tyson and King goes back to 1995 when King allegedly took about $100 million. It was only in 2004 when the case was settled for $12 million, but this was far from enough for Tyson who remained openly hostile toward King until very recently.

In 2018, Tyson and King were involved in a tense episode when King touched Tyson on the shoulder during a Boxing Hall of Fame event to which Tyson reacted by throwing water on King.

Despite their problematic story together, Tyson later admitted that he felt bad for having acted that way out of rage and he went on to call King on the phone to offer him an apology which King happily accepted.

Tyson shared this with sportscaster Jim Gray in December 2019, when the boxer appeared on a podcast titled “Hotboxin’ With Mike Tyson,” adding that by the end of the call, King complimented him and called him “a good person.”

BACK INTO THE RING

King’s revelation of having rekindled his friendship with Tyson comes soon after the former heavyweight champion announced his upcoming comeback fight against fellow boxing legend Roy Jones Jr.

Tyson is going to face Jones on September 12 at Dignity Health Sports Park in Carson, California, in an eight-round exhibition match.

This is going to be Tyson’s first fight since 2005 when he was defeated by Kevin McBride. As of Jones, 51, his last fight was in 2018 when he won against Scott Sigmon.