Mike Tyson’s return to the ring next month has led to concerns as to the 58-year-old prizefighter’s safety — but the former world heavyweight champion says that it isn’t him who people need to be worried for.
Tyson will square off with YouTube star Jake Paul at the AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas on Friday, November 15th in a bout that is expected to be among the most-watched contests of the year given that it represents the live debut of boxing on the Netflix streaming service.
The fight, though, hasn’t been without controversy. Many observers have questioned why Tyson is being paired with a fighter three decades his junior in a bout that comes close to 20 years after Tyson’s final professional bout, a defeat at the hands of Irish heavyweight Kevin McBride in 2005.
These concerns were amplified in recent weeks after Tyson was forced to withdraw from the originally scheduled date this past summer after experiencing a medical issue while on a flight from Miami to Los Angeles.
But speaking to the media about a month out from his comeback fight, Tyson said that this feels just like any of the other bouts of his 58-fight career.
“It hasn’t changed much,” Tyson said of his preparations, as noted by MMA Fighting. “It’s a fight I’ve been training for. I’ve been training a lot harder. I’m just ready. It’s hard to explain the training methods. I’m just ready to fight.”
And as for what Jake Paul can expect in the ring as soon as the first bell rings, Tyson was blunt: “A lot of pain. If I don’t have to catch him, you can expect a first-round knockout.”