LOUISVILLE, Kentucky, July 31 (AFP) - Mike Tyson, once the most feared fighter in the world, was knocked out in the fourth round Friday by journeyman Danny Williams in a defeat that could end his turbulent career.
The shock defeat to the Briton leaves many wondering if this is the end of the line for Tyson as this was supposed to be the first fight in a quest to regain a title and get him out of debt.
Now his advisors are for the first time talking openly about possible retirement.
Asked on Friday if retirement might be the best option, Tyson's trainer Freddie Roche replied: "Definitely a possibility. I am going to see how he feels. I am not going to lie to him. I am going to tell him the truth.
"We did the right things. There was some good things, but do they outweigh the bad things, maybe not."
It was one of the biggest upsets in recent boxing memory and brought back memories of Tyson's devastating loss 14 years ago to Buster Douglas.
Tyson was exposed as an overweight, aging boxer, looking for quick knockouts and easy paydays.
Even the revelation that he had strained a knee early in the fight failed to soften the shock of the defeat.
"I'm not sure where we are going to go from here," Roche said. "He's 38 years old.
"We are going to sit down and have a real serious conversation about his future ... what direction Mike wants to go.
"I care about Mike and I don't want to see him get hurt."
This was not just another loss for Tyson. The fight against 31-year-old Williams was supposed to be part of a bigger plan that would pull Tyson out of massive debt.
Tyson filed for bankruptcy in 2003 having lost nearly 300 million dollars in boxing purses and endorsements.
Tyson earned eight million dollars for Friday's bout, but most of it will go toward satisfying his creditors.
In June, Tyson agreed to settle a 100 million dollar lawsuit with promoter Don King. That same month, Tyson and his lawyers came up with a complicated seven-fight scheme to pay off the debt.
Promoter Bob Arum was also in talks with Tyson on a three-fight deal worth 80 million dollars. But that plan appeared to hinge on a victory over Williams.
Tyson's people were hoping that Iron Mike could shake off ring rust after a 17-month hiatus. He would then have his pick of what is considered a weak heavyweight division.
There are currently four heavyweight world champions, but none that even remotely strike fear in the heart like Tyson did in his prime.
Tyson is still the one fighter everyone knows. And he has the drawing power as evidenced by the 5,000 people that showed up at a Louisville shopping mall last week to watch him train.
So Tyson's future grows even murkier. Will boxing fans still pay money to see him fight after being embarrassed by a journeyman boxer like Williams?
After being knocked down two minutes, 51 seconds into the fourth round, Tyson wasn't even able to take advantage of a long count from referee Dennis Alfred. He looked like a done fighter.