Mike Tyson has made a shocking admission, stating he’d rather die in the ring than in hospital if things go south in his upcoming face-off with Jake Paul next month.
The former world champion hasn’t stepped into a professional boxing match since his defeat to Kevin McBride back in 2005. Although he officially retired that night, Tyson did make a comeback four years ago in an exhibition match against fellow boxing legend Roy Jones Jr.
On the other hand, 27 year old Paul is gearing up for his third time in the ring this year. After triumphing over former UFC fighter Mike Perry in his last match, ‘The Problem Child’ is confident he can add another big name to his victory list.
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With a record of 10-1, his only loss in the sport of boxing was to Tommy Fury last year. Tyson and Paul were originally set to face off in July, but ‘Iron Mike’ had to withdraw from the initial contest due to an ulcer flare-up. The 58 year old was advised to halt training, but has recently returned to the gym.
Since the rescheduled date was confirmed, many in the boxing community have taken to social media to criticize the decision to proceed with the event. Promoter Eddie Hearn recently disclosed that he’ll be exiting the arena after Katie Taylor’s bout with Amanda Serrano.
Concerns about Tyson’s well-being have been raised due to the significant 31-year age difference between the two fighters. Those concerns intensified after the American’s astonishing recent admission. Prior to the main event, Netflix announced a three-part, behind-the-scenes documentary series, “Countdown: Paul vs. Tyson,” which provides an intimate look at the fighters’ training camps and the rigorous preparations for the bout.
Mike Tyson will be 58 when he turns up to fight Jake Paul (
Justin Setterfield/Getty Images)
Following the release of the “Countdown” trailer, Tyson made a startling statement: “This is really big for me If I win, I’ll be immortal. If I do it bad, I don’t want to die in a hospital bed, I want to die in the ring.” This is not the first time in recent months that the 58 year old’s comments have alarmed the boxing community. Tyson had previously revealed that he was struggling to walk after sparring sessions.
Some fans are skeptical about the 58 year old’s commitment to the fight. In a recent conversation with Jimmy Kimmel, Tyson claimed to be training for six hours a day. “I am training extremely hard, I do six hours a day. I start at 11am and might leave the gym at 5pm,” he stated. Kimmel appeared stunned, responding: “Oh no. 11am? So that’s six hours straight, or is there a lunch break? ” The former heavyweight champion admitted to taking a brief break, prompting a shocked Kimmel to exclaim: “Oh no.”
During the same interview, Mike Tyson, when questioned about whether he plans to be high for his fight with Paul, responded with a chuckle, “I’m going to be so high off life, yeah.” Jimmy Kimmel probed further, asking, “Will you be high on marijuana, as well? ” to which Tyson admitted, “That’s a possibility, too.” Kimmel humorously remarked, “Oh no my bet is getting lower as we talk.”
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