Mike Tyson in a recent interview with FOX 4 downplayed concerns regarding the age difference between him and social media star Jake Paul ahead of their November 15 fight.
Though the former heavyweight champion is 58 and Paul is 27, Tyson explained that he still has the upper hand. “Other people my age haven’t been training as long as me, been as consistent as me, and I’m just a different species of human being,” Tyson stated.
Tyson’s fight against Paul was pushed to another date after he suffered an ulcer flare-up in May. He, however, told the news outlet that he is healthy and prepared to face off against Paul. He also said he has “bad intentions,” adding that his training routine has not changed.
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“[Training] is not much different. I just need more massages than normal,” Tyson said. He also said that though Paul is good a fighter, he is still not on his level. He told Paul not to “run like a thief” as he wants them to stand in and trade punches.
“I think he should try it. He’s a younger man, he should be able to handle punches from an old withering man like me,” Tyson said.
The 58-year-old did not talk about his prediction for the fight when FOX 4 asked him. He, however, stated that his “intention is to hurt this young man.”
As previously reported by Face2Face Africa, the fight, which will take place in Texas, has been officially sanctioned as a professional bout. According to BBC, this means that the results of the fight will subsequently reflect on Tyson and Paul’s records.
The Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation said it sanctioned the fight as a professional one with “certain waivers” after it reviewed records and the medical history of both Tyson and Paul. The agency manages combat sports in the state.
“The safety of the contestants competing in the ring or the octagon is always the primary concern,” the TDLR said. The fight, however, has some conditions. It cannot go beyond eight rounds and two minutes per round. Tyson and Paul are also required to wear 14oz gloves instead of 10oz.
Tyson’s professional career ended in 2005 and he has not fought since he and Roy Jones Jr. met in a 2020 exhibition that ended in a draw. Paul has won nine of his 10 boxing fights, usually against ex-UFC fighters. His only defeat was when he came against British heavyweight Tommy Fury in February last year, according to BBC.
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