Already a Mensch

I remember studying the poem “To an Athlete Dying Young” by A.E. Housman in my high school English class. Housman was one of my favorite poets, and this poem in particular appealed to me because of its message and style, both of which were easy to understand. The message was clear. Glory “withers quicker than the rose,” and so it would be better to die young rather than see your “record cut” and your name die before you do. In the poem, the youth they once carried on their shoulders as winner of the town race they now carried on their shoulders to his resting place.

It was thus natural to recall the poem during the Mike Tyson vs. Jake Paul heavyweight fight this past Friday in Arlington, Texas. Although it was an officially sanctioned fight, it was nothing like Tyson’s previous fights and certainly not his championship bouts. It lasted only eight rounds, with each round being two minutes instead of the standard three minutes. In the end, Paul (27) beat Tyson (58) in a unanimous decision by the judges.

In relation to the Housman poem, there are extenuating circumstances. That is, one of the things that would entice a man long past his prime into the ring again is the purse. It has been reported that Tyson made twenty million dollars and Paul twice that amount from the fight. That’s a lot of incentive even in the face of a long-withered rose.

That Paul got twice the amount might have to do with the event itself, which included seven matches in total and a promotional effort on a par with the Superbowl. A company Paul co-founded in 2021 promoted the event, which, not surprisingly, included a lengthy performance by the Dallas Cowboy cheerleaders. Too lengthy, in fact.

I don’t think many people believed that this was anything other than a marketing event to promote both boxers and Paul’s company. To be fair, it was also meant to promote boxing itself, which in today’s environment has to compete for the public’s attention with other contenders like mixed martial arts (MMA), Brazilian jiu-jitsu (BJJ), and Muay Thai or Thai boxing.

Given Paul’s relative inexperience and Tyson’s historic dominance in the ring, many hoped for an early knockout by Tyson. That did not happen. Instead, by the third round, Paul began outmaneuvering the boxing hall-of-famer, who looked tired and tense. Tyson seemed to be fighting from memory rather than reacting to or anticipating Paul’s moves. By the final round, he appeared winded and barely able to make it to the final bell, when Paul bowed to him out of respect.

I have always liked Tyson, not just for his mastery in the ring but for his authenticity out of it, even if that includes his 1992 conviction for rape (see Independent), which is not to be ignored. I like his admiration for Jack Dempsey. I like his stoic approach to life and suffering, especially concerning the tragic death of his four-year-old daughter. I like his humility and self-deprecating humor. I like how he has always remembered and honored his late mentor, Cus D’Amato.

Still, with all this in mind, I thought of another cultural connection as I watched the fight, this time to film. In Requiem for a Heavyweight (1962), boxer Luis “Mountain” Rivera purposely humiliates himself by donning a costume and becoming the professional wrestler, “Big Chief Mountain Rivera.” He does so to pay back a debt his manager owes to local thugs who have threatened the manager’s life. In this excellent screenplay by Rod Serling, Rivera, played by Anthony Quinn, sacrifices his pride and future to help his friend, who bet against him in his fight against Cassius Clay.

Tyson did not humiliate himself in this contest. Far from it. But then neither did he disprove those who warned that he was too old to get back into the ring. What he ended up showing is that he is a human being with the heart of a lion. He will still be “chaired” through Housman’s marketplace on the shoulders of those who remember his championship bouts. But this should be his last attempt at glory. After all, why would he try for more? The man is already a mensch.

Image credits: feature by Toglenn – Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=79795126; pose by Steve Lott – Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=26362016. Want more? Go to Robert Brancatelli. The Brancatelli Blog is a member of The Free Media Alliance, which promotes “alternatives to software, culture, and hardware monopolies.”