Mike Tyson could be slapped with a boxing ban if he repeats the approach he took against Roy Jones Jr in 2020. Former heavyweight champion Tyson is due to face YouTube star Jake Paul in Texas this November.
And the contest has raised eyebrows given that 58-year-old Tyson is more than three decades older than his upcoming opponent. Paul boasts a 10-1 record having turned to the sport five years ago, with a number of accomplished MMA stars unable to defeat him in the boxing ring.
Tyson and Paul were originally scheduled to scrap in July this year, but an ulcer flare-up ruled Tyson out on medical grounds and the fight was rearranged.
The veteran has been open about his use of marijuana and magic mushrooms in the past, and he claimed to take them not only to aid recovery between training sessions ahead of fighting Jones Jr, but also to be under the influence for the fight itself.
Their 2020 showdown was sanctioned by the California Commission, a state in which marijuana is legal both medically and recreationally. But further drug use this time around could land Tyson in hot water with the Texas Commission, which considers marijuana a prohibited substance.
Tyson recently appeared on American talk show Jimmy Kimmel Live, on which he was asked whether he plans to be high for the fight with Paul.
“I’m gonna be so high off life, yeah,” he responded. When asked whether he would also be high on marijuana, Tyson said: “That’s a possibility too.”
It remains to be seen whether Tyson’s statements were serious, but the Texas Commission has dished out punishments for positive marijuana tests in the past. Lightweight rising star Keyshawn Davis was hit with a 90-day suspension last year for that very reason.
That aside, Tyson claims to have his eyes on the prize ahead of his meeting with Paul, with a six-hours-a-day training schedule helping him get in top shape.
“I want to change biology,” he said. “I want to change the way people think about age. People think that as you get older you become weaker, you become less physically active at a high level. It’s all psychological.
“If you believe you feel bad and you feel old – then you feel bad and old. If you believe you feel great, you feel great. It’s all about what we see about ourselves.”
