Mike Tyson, the “baddest man on the planet”, is to make his in-ring return to the WWE, albiet in virtual form. THQ this morning made the announcement that the former Undisputed Champion of the World will be available as pre-order bonus for WWE ’13, adding him to the roster of playable characters. This pre-order offer is available from any of the participating retailers in North America or Canada. No word on anything for the UK or any other countries yet.

If you’re a newer wrestling fan and unsure as to what the hell Mike Tyson has to do with the WWE, he made headlines back in the Attitude Era, which is what the single player of WWE ’13 is heavily based around. He’s mostly remembered for his appearances leading up to Wrestlemania XIV, where Vince McMahon announced that Tyson would be the special enforcer for the upcoming  World Championship match at Wrestlemania XIV between  the Heart-Break kid, Shawn Michaels, and the Texas Rattlesnake, Stone Cold Steve Austin. Austin quickly made enemies with Tyson, who then donned a D-Generation X shirt, the very same group that Shawn Michaels was a part of.

Skip forward to the match at Wrestlemania and Tyson would come in to count a very quick one-two-three count after the referee was knocked out , helping Austin win  the championship belt. When Shawn Michaels complained, Tyson knocked his ass out cold with a single punch.

Earlier this year in April, Tyson was inducted into the celebrity wing of the WWE Hall of Fame.

“As one of the most dominant champions in boxing history and one of the most memorable guests to ever be featured on WWE programming, Mike Tyson led an incredible revolution that changed the way fans perceive the sport,” said Sean Ratcliffe, Vice President, Global Brand Management, THQ.  “He was a tremendous addition to the ‘Attitude Era’ and is certain to attract a wide variety of fans to ‘live the revolution’ offered in WWE ’13.”

“The baddest man on the planet is back – and only in WWE ’13,” said Mike Tyson.  “Fans everywhere can now relive what I experienced during the ‘Attitude Era.’”

If you’re wondering exactly how Mr. Tyson will appear in the game, he’ll be wearing a fetching sleeveless DX T-shirt and black jeans, as seen above.