The days continue to tick down until Iron Mike Tyson makes his eagerly anticipated, but controversial, return to the boxing ring to face the even more controversial Jake Paul on July 20, but the 58-year-old has made an emotional admission about the passing of time on the body by saying it’s not what it was.
Tyson gained a reputation for being a quick, ducking, bobbing and weaving fighter throughout his professional career with exceptional knockout power to boot meaning that he had a meteoric rise to the top of the game and now sits at the same table as legends such as Muhammad Ali or Joe Frazier.
Mike Tyson goes at reporter asking for prediction for Jake Paul fightParker Johnson
So how will he perform when he faces Paul, who is an up and coming boxer at the start of his own professional journey? Tyson’s likely not expecting a 1990s-style performance now just seven years away from being a legal senior.
“My body is s**t right now. I am sore,’ Tyson said to media. But when he was asked if it was just gamesmanship and deception, he replied: “I wish.”
Is Tyson worried about the fight?
There has been a wave of dialogue around the fight, which will be aired by Netflix on July 20 at the AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas, home of the NFL’s Dallas Cowboys as many are worried about the potential impact on Tyson.
Now aged 58, he’s susceptible to a series of serious health conditions such as heart issues, internal bleeding of the brain and problems such as dementia or Alzheimer’s if he takes too much punishment inside the boxing ring.
Names such as Derek Chisora and Deontay Wilder, the latter being the ex-WBC champion himself, have slammed the fight as farcical and even the sanctioning body has required shorter rounds, fewer rounds and heavier gloves to protect the fighters.
But Tyson isn’t worried and has claimed that those criticizing him, and Paul are simply jealous of the scale of interest in this fight and the money involved.
“I think the people who say that wish they were up here,” Tyson added to press. “Because no one else can do this. No one else can shut the sporting world down.
“This feels like it’s going to be pretty fun so maybe we’ll do it again. Let me take care of Jake first. We’re friends, there’s no doubt. But in the ring, we’re not going to be friends.
“I really like Jake but he’s going to have to fight like his life is on the line because it is.”
