‘Iron’ Mike Tyson is just days away from his first professional boxing match in nearly 20 years.
On Friday, November 15, the former undisputed heavyweight world champion steps back into the spotlight inside the 80,000-seat AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas for a clash with YouTube sensation Jake Paul. The bout will air live on Netflix—a first for the streaming giant and its 280 million subscribers around the world.
🚨New Trailer for Mike Tyson vs Jake Paul.
📽️ @netflix pic.twitter.com/bxk1eJZ18E
— Boxing Kingdom (@BoxingKingdom14) October 25, 2024
Tyson, of course, is considered by many to be one of the greatest fighters in the sport’s history. Kickstarting his career with 19-straight knockouts, ‘Iron’ made history by becoming the youngest heavyweight titleholder, capturing the WBC crown on November 22, 1986.
At the time, Tyson was too young to truly appreciate the moment and its impact on boxing, but he can’t help but try to recapture that moment to some extent in his return to the ring.
“I’ll never forget that moment,” Tyson said, recounting his first title victory during an interview with Adam Catterall of talkSPORT. “I couldn’t appreciate it at all back then, but it’s overwhelming, it’s pretty addicting, and that’s probably why I’m here now.”
Asked why he’s trying to make a comeback nearly 40 years removed from his pro debut, Tyson said:
“You know why we’re here now? I’m 58, I’m gonna fight in the biggest arena, and it’s gonna be sold out. Who else can do that? And I have to perform. That gives me all the inspiration—let’s me know I have to perform.”
Mike Tyson Says a Victory Over Jake Paul Won’t Be Very High on His All-Time Wins List
While there has been plenty of scrutiny surrounding Tyson’s fight against ‘The Problem Child,’ fans have continued to be impressed by Tyson’s training footage. Offering some insight into his training regimen, ‘Kid Dynamite’ revealed that his method hasn’t changed much over the decades—aside from spending a little more time allowing his body to recover.
“It hasn’t changed too much,” Tyson said. “The only thing that’s changed is I get more massages now. Sometimes I try to overdo it and I realize that hey, you need to chill out for a day or two.”
He added, “On Monday and Tuesday I boxed eight three-minute rounds. I bring in guys who emulate Jake. I bring some big strong guys in to help me push them around. I got a lot of movers and a couple of big guys who I pretty much go head-to-head with.”
I’m just getting started.#PaulTyson pic.twitter.com/ZdDwQ8FbBR
— Mike Tyson (@MikeTyson) October 23, 2024
As for how Tyson sees Paul, ‘Iron’ believes the social media star is a “good little fighter,” but with only a handful of fights on his resume, it’s hard for Tyson to see him as anything more than an amateur.
“He’s a good little fighter, but he only has 10 fights,” Tyson said. “That’s considered an amateur in our field. I see him running around and I’ll have to catch him and slaughter him. Whoever’s in that ring, they have a problem with me. Don’t go in the ring if you don’t want that problem.”
Throughout his career, Mike Tyson has earned victories over some of the sport’s biggest names, including Larry Holmes, Michael Spinks, and Donovan Ruddock. As for how a win against Jake Paul would rank on his all-time wins list, ‘Iron’ was fairly honest in saying that it wouldn’t be much of a victory in the grand scheme of things.
“I don’t know. I wouldn’t rank it that high,” Tyson said. “I’m just in there to perform. I’m not in there to judge my performance or anything like that. I’m in there to judge me. “
Originally, Tyson and Paul were scheduled to scrap on July 20, but a medical emergency during a cross-country flight forced ‘Iron’ to take some time away from training. That prompted promoters to reschedule the fight for November 15.
Fortunately, the incident was chalked up to nothing more than an ulcer flare-up which is no longer an issue for the ex-champ.
“Everything’s been sorted,” Tyson confirmed when asked about his health. “I had an ulcer problem because I was eating bad food.”
Check out the full interview below: