NEW YORK — Mike Tyson is 58 years old and coming off a health scare that forced the postponement of his return to the ring.
The boxer once considered the most dangerous man in the world could be putting himself in danger by putting the gloves on again. Yet he was quick to respond Sunday when asked why he was going through with his bout against Jake Paul.
“Because I can. Who else can do it but me? Who else is he going to fight to make this happen?” Tyson said, motioning toward the crowd at a packed press conference where fans cheered the former heavyweight champion and booed Paul.
“We’ve just got to listen to the facts. We’ve got a YouTuber fighting the greatest fighter that ever lived.”
Tyson and Paul restarted the buildup to their match that is now scheduled for Nov. 15 at the home of the Dallas Cowboys in Arlington, Texas. They had been set to meet July 20 before Tyson became nauseous and dizzy on a flight from Miami to Los Angeles in May, with his representatives attributing the episode to an ulcer problem.
Tyson said Sunday he resumed training two or three weeks ago and feels fine.
“Hey listen, I’m just ready,” Tyson said.
The undisputed heavyweight champion 1987 to 1990, Tyson (50-6, 44 KOs) retired in 2005 before coming back for an exhibition match against Roy Jones in 2020. Fans seem excited for his return, with a number of them turned away Sunday because too many showed up for their press conference on the final day of the Fanatics Fest event in New York.
Paul (10-1, 7 KOs) sparred as much with the fans who booed him as with the fighter across the stage.
“Hey New York, you’re just like Mike Tyson,” Paul said. “You were good 20 years ago.”
Tyson’s most dominant days are actually longer ago than that, and Paul understands that he probably wouldn’t get much credit for a victory against such a diminished opponent. Yet the former Disney Channel star who insists he will become a boxing champion said there is benefit to fighting Tyson even now.
“Big moments, big pressure, big stages, one of the greatest to ever do it, more experience than me, more fights than me, I’m going to learn a lot in this fight and through this training camp,” Paul said. “So this is helping me in my future fights and everything that I want to accomplish.”
He took a fight after Tyson had to pull out, stopping bare-knuckle fighting champion Mike Perry in the sixth round on July 20. Perry, like many of the fighters on Paul’s resume, comes from the mixed martial arts world, rather than from a boxing background.
He preferred to fight Tyson then and is eager now for his second chance.
“I was ready before, you needed a little break,” he said to Tyson. “Your tummy hurt still?”
The fight that will stream on Netflix will be an official bout, though contested with eight two-minute rounds and heavier gloves than usual. The truest boxing match on the card might be the one that precedes it, when super lightweight champion Katie Taylor and Amanda Serrano have a rematch of Taylor’s thrilling victory in 2022 in the first women’s boxing match to headline at Madison Square Garden.
Then Paul will try to show what he hopes to become in boxing, or perhaps Tyson can demonstrate what he once was. He said his health problems won’t prevent that.
“I had a small adversity. I got sick, but I’m better,” Tyson said. “I feel good.”
Jake Paul, the controversial YouTube star turned professional boxer, is gearing up for his highly anticipated boxing match against former heavyweight champion Mike Tyson. In the lead-up to the fight, Paul has fully embraced the role of the villain, stirring up controversy and trash-talking his opponent in an effort to generate hype and excitement for the event.
Paul, who rose to fame on social media platforms like Vine and YouTube, has been no stranger to controversy throughout his career. From his controversial pranks and stunts to his brash and outspoken personality, Paul has never shied away from the spotlight or the criticism that comes with it. And now, as he prepares to step into the ring against a boxing legend like Tyson, Paul is leaning into his reputation as a polarizing figure in order to sell tickets and pay-per-view buys.
In recent interviews and press conferences, Paul has not held back in his trash talk towards Tyson, calling him out for being past his prime and claiming that he will knock him out in the first round. While some may see this as disrespectful or distasteful, others view it as a savvy marketing tactic by Paul to drum up interest in the fight and position himself as the bad guy in the eyes of fans.
Despite his lack of experience in professional boxing, Paul has been training rigorously for the match against Tyson, working with top trainers and sparring partners to improve his skills and conditioning. And while many critics doubt his ability to compete at Tyson’s level, Paul remains confident in his own abilities and is determined to prove his doubters wrong on fight night.
As the date of the match draws closer, anticipation continues to build for what promises to be a high-stakes and highly entertaining showdown between two larger-than-life personalities. Whether you love him or hate him, there’s no denying that Jake Paul knows how to generate buzz and keep people talking – and his upcoming bout against Tyson is sure to be no exception.