Mike Tyson admits he’s “kind of depressed” following his big payday with Jake Paul, as he revealed the transition back from training to normal life.
The veteran boxer was beaten in eight rounds by Paul, as the judges ruled it a win by unanimous decision – with the scores reading 80-72, 79-73 and 79-73 respectively. This sobering defeat still scored Iron Mike some cash – roughly $20million to be exact.
While this money injection will have put Tyson in good stead for the future, he has admitted there has been a come-down in his emotions following the bout. In an interview with Steve Covino and Rich Davis on the FOX Sports Radio YouTube channel earlier this month, Tyson spoke about his feelings post-fight and what will be keeping him occupied now.
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The 58-year-old said: “That fight was such a big ascent—we were so up and high, we were so excited. The fight’s over, boom. Wow, I’m kind of depressed a little bit. We got to get back [into] our living situation [daily life], back to living. [We were] training for it 9 months.”
This slump in emotions is to be expected after a fight, especially one as high-profile as the bout between Tyson and Paul. It was so popular that Netflix picked it up to show on their network, and the company reported that it was the most streamed sporting event in history.
According to Netflix, over 108 million people tuned in to watch the match-up – and social media was abuzz with speculation before, during and after the event. Some fans were left disappointed that the fight didn’t quite live up to the billing, citing Tyson’s energy levels throughout the contest.
Tyson told 7News that the fight was “magically” over very quickly for him. The seasoned boxer said: “Magically. It just happened so quick. Eight rounds were over fast. I wasn’t tired. I wasn’t sweating. I didn’t understand that.”
The pair boxed it out in the ring for eight rounds (
TIMOTHY A. CLARY/AFP via Getty Images)
On the same FOX radio show, Iron Mike spoke about what he remembers from the fight. “I don’t remember the fight that much, I kind of blanked out a little,” he said. “No I have not watched the fight … Know what I remember?
“Coming back from the first round and then the next thing I remember Jake was doing some kind of, I don’t know, a bow. And that’s the last thing I remember. I thought he was gonna hit me, I thought what the hell is he doing?”
He then added: “It was a real fight.”
Iron Mike lost the fight against Paul – but still pocketed $20 million (
Brett Carlsen/Getty Images for Netflix © 2024)
Paul’s team also sought to shut down unfounded claims from some fans that the fight was rigged. The Problem Child’s promotional company Most Valuable Promotions (MVP) released a statement last month which said: “Rigging a professional boxing match is a federal crime in the United States of America. Paul vs. Tyson was a professional match sanctioned by the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulations (TDLR).
“Both fighters in good faith performed to the best of their abilities with the goal of winning the fight. There were absolutely no restrictions – contractual or otherwise around either fighter. Each boxer was able to use his full arsenal to win the fight. Any agreement to the contrary would violate TDLR boxing rules.
“Trash talk and speculation are common in sports, and athletes and promoters need to tolerate nonsensical commentary, jokes and opinions. But suggesting anything other than full effort from these fighters is not only naïve but an insult to the work they put into their craft and to the sport itself.”
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