“To have my children see me stand toe to toe and finish 8 rounds with a talented fighter half my age in front of a packed Dallas Cowboy stadium is an experience that no man has the right to ask for. Thank you.”

Before their fiercely anticipated bout, originally scheduled for July, was delayed due to Tyson’s alarming health scare during a flight, which he discussed with New York Magazine: “I was in the bathroom throwing up blood.

“I asked the doctor, ‘Am I going to die?’ He said, ‘We have options.’ Options? I couldn’t believe it. I had, like, eight blood transfusions. The doctor said I lost half my blood. I almost died.

“I lost 25 pounds in 11 days. Couldn’t eat. Only liquids. Every time I went to the bathroom, it smelled like tar. Didn’t even smell like s*** anymore. It was disgusting.”

“It threw me off [when I continued training]. All my coordination, stamina, everything was hectic getting back. I was peaked already. I could have fought him that day. Now I got to start from scratch.”

“I just don’t give up. I’m an a****** sometimes. I’m a d***. If I haven’t outlived my enemies, I’ve turned them into my friends.”