What I saw Friday night
Friday night, we all had the opportunity to watch the Paul v. Tyson match on Netflix. It has been a long time since a boxing match of this notoriety was not on PPV, and America tuned in to view it; clearly, since Netflix had streaming issues during the main event that prompted articles and backlash all over the internet.
That's not important right now. It is also not important that every year of Tyson's 58 years affected his performance in the ring. Seeing a boxer I grew up watching obliterate the heavyweight division look like a shell of his former self was bittersweet. His power was gone, his legs were done, and despite giving his best effort, it was apparent he would not win this fight against a man half his age.
The fight was a facade. Paul held back to go the distance, and Tyson threw less than 100 pounds in eight rounds. What isn't a facade is that Tyson is 58 and stepped into the ring one last time. It was a real-life reminder of Rocky Balboa's last fight against Mason Dixon when he was long retired. Unlike the fictional Rocky, who took Mason the distance in a legitimate fashion, Tyson looked like he didn't belong in the ring.
But....
Imagine being 58 years old and doing this. We can argue over the legitimacy of Paul as a boxer, and those criticisms would be valid as he has yet to step into the ring with a top 20 fighter. When he lost to Tommy Fury, he lost to a man who wasn't ranked in the top 40 in the cruiserweight division.
None of that matters because Tyson is 58, and Paul is 27.
His personal issues were well-known and clouded his prime. He also was a terror in the ring, and Cus D'Amato's death, Don King exploiting him, his rape conviction, and his alcohol and narcotic abuse all left a stain on his legacy as a boxer.
What could he have been if he hadn't victimized Desiree Washington in a hotel room? What could he have been if he didn't allow Don King to enter his world? What could he have been if he kept Kevin Rooney as a trainer?
So many what ifs, but this is the now.
The now is crucial because you cannot change the past. The mistakes, bad decisions, and bad actions can't be undone. There is no way to look back and lament your mistakes without potentially wallowing in them; there are only two things you can do:
Earn redemption earnestly and authentically.
Don't repeat the mistake.
That's it.
I cannot vouch for Tyson's redemption arc because we are not privy to his life. What we see is what we get, and we never heard a public apology for the sexual assault.
All of these facts sit in my head as I watch a man I used to watch look every bit of 58 years old. Sure, he is a different man now, and we can all hope he is a better man. His relationships with his children are better, he seems to be content with his life, and he looks more humble now, even writing tweets like this:
There are lessons to learn from all of this.
Time stands still for no human. Make the best of it.
Make amends for mistakes and seek to be a better human.
Surround yourself with people you love and not people who exploit you.
Age is not just a number; what you do with that age is important.
I see a 58-year-old flawed human stepping into the ring and being embarrassed in front of millions of people watching around the world.
I also see my reflection as a 50-year-old man who realizes my life is in this new phase.
What can I do with it? How can I be better to my friends, partner, and clients? How can I bring something positive to the world and remove the negative thought patterns that have been an albatross in my life?
I am working on it, and over the last few days, I have thought seriously about what I need to do to move ahead in my life and career. How can I be better as an athlete, coach, friend, partner, and human?
Time flies, and you can't slow it down.
What you can slow down is the adverse effects that time has on you.
Regret, lamentation, bitterness, lack of mobility, adverse health effects of "letting yourself go."
Those are up to you; what do you plan to do about them?
