Mike Tyson's Touted Ideal Comeback Opponent Has Already Beaten Him Once

The touted ideal opponent for Mike Tyson’s return to boxing is someone who has already stopped him in the past.

For the first time in 15 years, Tyson has announced that he will make a comeback in boxing. The legendary heavyweight is currently training to participate in a “three or four-round exhibition” match aiming to help the “homeless and drug-affected” people.

Ahead of Tyson’s much awaited return, one name has emerged as a suitable opponent – U.K.’s Danny Williams.

According to World Boxing News, Williams presents a strong case to be Tyson’s comeback foe. Back in 2004, the world knew Tyson was already approaching the twilight years of his career and was just fighting for the money. However, due to his relentless KO power, many expected that “Iron Mike” would still be able to dismantle the 6-foot-3 journeyman.

What happened instead was completely the opposite. Tyson was floored with a bloodied face in round four and Williams was declared winner via KO.

Indeed, Williams’ career turned into a fairytale after knocking out “The Baddest Man on the Planet.” He was booked for a series of fights and is still an active fighter to this day. At 46, Williams last fought in November, scoring the 54th win of his boxing tenure. He already fought 82 times in his lengthy career, with half of them ending in a KO victory.

Pundits believe that the level of interest would shoot up immediately if Tyson will face a rival who has beaten him in the past. Evidently, the assumption is that more people will be intrigued only to see if a 53-year-old Tyson can avenge a devastating loss handed by one of his five conquerors.

Should Tyson ever consider the proposed idea, Williams will be the likely opponent available for him. Besides Evander Holyfield, who recently expressed his intentions to also return to boxing, the other three past opponents who had beaten Tyson -- Lennox Lewis, James "Buster" Douglas, and Kevin McBride -- do not have enough reason to come out of retirement.

In 2015, Williams reflected on the biggest win of his career. However, according to the Brit, he’s “pretty embarrassed” that he beat such a great fighter like Tyson. He also recalled how a declining “Iron Mike” still managed to do some serious damage on him saying, “His punching is crazy. I can’t even explain it. It’s the speed as well and the sharpness. You don’t even see the punches coming.”