Mike Tyson will not hold anything back in his fight with Jake Paul.
The 58-year-old will astonishingly make a full professional comeback in a showdown with Paul on November 15, despite having not fought competitively since being pummelled into retirement in 2005.
Tyson has attracted concern as his fight with Paul approachesMichelle Farsi/Most Valuable Promotions
Tyson has a raft of health concerns going into the clash, suffering regularly with sciatica, while having been forced to withdraw once already due to an ‘ulcer flare up’.
But the veteran is in a full training camp currently, and has admitted he wants to prove to the world he has still got it.
“I could be waiting on a check every day from cannabis,’’ Tyson said. That’s bulls*** for me. I’m a man.
“I want to go out there and I want to expose myself to risk. Sometimes I want to see who I really am.
“I want to see what I’m really made out of. I want to perform in front of the world.
“To me, that’s all I ever knew how to do since I was 14. This fight is not going to change my life financially enough.
“This is just what I want to do.’’
Tyson is clearly in no mood to listen for concerns from the boxing world and will push ahead with his plans to return.
Health concerns have been put to Tyson throughout the build-up so far, particularly given the threat Paul poses in his physical prime aged 27.
But ‘Iron Mike’ is confident his punch power will be enough to get him over the line.
Tyson knows the risk but is willing to defy it to face PaulGetty
Tyson has been posting regular training clips to keep fans involved with his journey, and in a bid to prove his fitness.
But he did also admit he has been struggling with the pace of a full camp, particularly after some tough sparring.
He continued: “It’s hard to walk right now.
“But two months from now I’m going to be perfect. The fight is won in the gym.
“Listen, I’ll do anything that will help me.
“I’m going to enjoy my time here tonight with all my childhood friends, and the hell with Jake Paul.”
Tyson will become one of the oldest fighters to grace the ring, but it could end badly given how badly Evander Holyfield fared in his exhibition in 2021 losing by first round KO.
The legend has had just one serious run out since retiring in an exhibition with Roy Jones Jr in 2020, which was more evenly matched.
But Paul does not plan to hold back in the sanctioned bout, and has vowed to win by KO which is a frightening prospect for Tyson’s fans.
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