Mike Tyson has confessed to having doubts about his decision to fight Jake Paul, questioning “what the f***” he was doing. The boxing legend is set to return to the ring at 58 years old this Friday, facing off against YouTuber Paul in Texas.
Tyson, who hasn’t fought for four years since his exhibition match with Roy Jones Jr, and whose last professional bout saw him retire after five rounds against Kevin McBride in 2005, had to delay the fight from its original July date due to an inflamed ulcer. However, he assures fans that he’s now in fighting shape, even putting on a display with his trainer during a Tuesday workout.
Reflecting on his training, Tyson admitted: “That I’m tougher than I believed I was, because when I agreed to this fight and started training, I thought: ‘What the f*** am I thinking of? ‘ But now I’ve finished the process, the fight is the party. Never in a million years did I think I would be fighting him.”
On the other hand, Paul has won 10 out of his 11 professional fights, padding his record by taking on ex-MMA fighters like Ben Askren, Tyron Woodley, Anderson Silva, and Nate Diaz. He enters Friday’s fight as the favourite, boasting a 31-year age advantage over his legendary adversary.
The buoyant fighter exclaimed his gratitude and outlined his plans for a victorious bout in Dallas: “I’m just blessed to be here, so grateful to all the fans who showed up,” he stated post-training. Promising an electrifying Friday, he added, “Dallas is going to be an amazing night on Friday. I’m just having fun doing my thing.”
Confident in his preparation, he claimed, “I feel really good, sharp and explosive, and it’s going to be a short night for Mike. It’s not about how long you’ve been doing something, it’s about how good you do it.” With a nod to his own boxing talent, he said, “On Friday, people are going to see me out-box the person who’s been doing it their whole life.”
Declaring his ascent, he shared his vision, “We are an unstoppable force and on Friday, my dreams come true and my career starts. This is the start of an amazing journey, it doesn’t matter what I’ve done before, my career starts now.” He also spoke to his trepidatious mother from the ringside, revealing her concerns but reassuring her of his destiny: “She’s nervous,” he acknowledged.
“She doesn’t like watching Mike Tyson throw punches because she’s a little bit scared. Mum, I promise you I was built for this, I was destined for this. The God’s have got me, the universe has got me and I, Jake Joseph Paul, will knock out Mike Tyson. It is written in the f***ing history books.”
