Boxing: Mike Tyson rejects offer to fight likes of Sonny Bill Williams in Australia

Mike Tyson. Photo / Getty Images

American boxing legend Mike Tyson has rejected the offer to fight in Australia against the likes of Sonny Bill Williams saying it would be an 'insult to boxing'.

Reports emerged last week of boxing promoter Brian Amatruda's attempt to cash in on Tyson's rumoured comeback through a charity bout against one of several sports stars – with reports that an offer of $1 million was on the table.

Amatruda has promoted cards featuring the likes of Danny Green, Lucas Browne and Anthony Mundine, and said several of the part-time boxers who bring in big audiences in Australia – including Williams, NRL legend Paul Gallen and AFL great Barry Hall – would fill Australian arenas if paired up against Tyson.

Sonny Bill Wlliams says it would be a "career highlight" to step inside the ring with American boxing legend Mike Tyson. Photo / Getty Images.

Sydney promoter Max Markson told The Daily Telegraph that Tyson got in touch via email and it was a no to the offer from Amatruda.

"Mike felt it would be an insult to boxing if he fought a footballer," Markson said.

"He doesn't have any interest in coming to Australia at the moment – plus, there is no international travel anyway because of the coronavirus – but said if anything changes I'll be the first to know."

Tyson recently rubbished the reports of potentially facing Williams, calling them "totally false" on Twitter, before deleting the post, but that didn't stop Williams from weighing in on the prospect of fighting one of the best boxers in heavyweight history.

Williams told the Sydney Morning Herald he'd followed Tyson's career from a young age, and said it would be an honour to get in the ring with him.

"I grew up watching Tyson and his fights," said Williams. "It's hard not to admire the power and ferocity of Tyson like so many other sports people around the world.

"It would be a humbling and surreal moment in my life to stare at him and know I was facing one of the greats of the sport. It would be an honour... a career highlight to share the ring with an iconic figure of world sport.

"If it's for a good cause, I'd love to get in the ring with Mike Tyson."

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Tyson first sparked chatter about a potential comeback after wowing fans in a ferocious sparring session in a video that went viral, but nothing about returning to the ring has come from the man himself.