Mike Tyson’s sparring partner, Mike Russell, has copped a shiner courtesy of an intense sparring stint with the 58 year old icon in advance of Tyson’s much-anticipated bout against Jake Paul.

The legendary ex-champ roped in the fists of Russell and Jett Blackwell for his scrap with ‘The Problem Child’, with both punching proxies obliged to ink Non-Disclosure Agreements top-secret pacts designed to keep Tyson’s tactics away from prying eyes. It’s a similar corner for Tyson, as he’s using a vast majority of the same people in his corner as he used for his exhibition match with boxing great Roy Jones Jr in 2020.

At 32, Russell has notched up a 6-1 fight record flitting between heavyweight and cruiserweight rings. His recent gigs include getting former UFC fighter Nate Diaz battle-ready for last year’s fracas with Paul an encounter that saw ‘The Problem Child’ notch a knockdown and cruise to victory by judges’ decision down in Texas.

In a heart-to-heart with ESNEWS earlier this annum, Russell spilled on the intensity of trading leather with Tyson. “It’s one hell of an experience. I’ll tell you what, his power has not gone away at all.”

Digging deeper into how bruising Tyson’s blows are, the US bruiser confided: “They’re f****** heavy. One time… usually you have to get hit in a good spot for your vision to go, a chin or temple. One time he hit me in the eye, my vision went and I went ‘how the f*** did he hit me in the eye and my vision goes’.”

Ahead of their highly-anticipated bout, Russell shared that Tyson gave him a black eye during sparring and didn’t mince words about what lies in store for ‘The Problem Child’. “Mike hits harder than anyone I’ve ever been in the ring with,” he confessed in a Netflix documentary.

Russell also disclosed his rare experience with facial bruising and hinted at peril for Jake Paul. “I’ve only had two black eyes in my whole career, one other one and this one right here. Jake is walking into a problem. He says he’s the problem child but it’s going to be a problem for him on November 15.”

Mike Tyson training ahead of his fight against Jake Paul in this Instagram post captioned: “Ripped and ready”

Mike Tyson training ahead of his fight against Jake Paul in this Instagram post captioned: “Ripped and ready”

As the fight draws closer, Tyson delivered a stark message to his adversary. “I don’t think he has any idea what’s coming at him,” he declared in a Netflix documentary.

Tyson dismissed any notions of being past his prime and promised a rude awakening for Paul. “He thinks I’m a wolf decrepit man coming at him; somebody with a bunch of arthritis built up in his bones coming to attack him. He’s going to have a big surprise. I’m just ready to get in there. I’m going to catch him with all this running bulls***. You can’t win by running, you’ve got to fight sometime.”

The epic battle between the boxing legends is set for Friday, November 15, at the AT&T Stadium in Dallas, Texas, where up to 80,000 spectators are expected to witness the action. The fighters will face off in a unique eight-round match with two-minute rounds, deviating from the usual three-minute rounds.

This special event has received the green light from the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation, and both competitors will don 14-ounce gloves, which are bulkier than the typical boxing gloves.