Former heavyweight champion of the world Mike Tyson is set to face YouTuber-turned-boxer Jake Paul in the ring on November 15 in Arlington, Texas
YouTuber-turned-boxer Jake Paul has been sent a brutal message ahead of his showdown with boxing legend, and former world champion, Mike Tyson later this year.
The two boxing stars were scheduled to go toe-to-toe back in July, however, Tyson was forced to pull out of the contest after suffering from an inflamed ulcer. The American was told to stop training on his doctor's orders but has recently returned to the gym and insists he will be ready to walk to the ring next month.
The blockbuster bout is now set to take place on Friday, November 15 in Arlington, Texas at the AT&T Stadium in front of up to 90,000 fans. Tyson's last professional outing came in 2005 when he lost to Kevin McBride. His last bout took place in an exhibition against fellow legend Roy Jones Jr behind closed doors in 2020. As for Paul, the 27-year-old defeated former UFC fighter Mike Perry in his last outing back in July.
It appears Tyson's team are ramping up the war of words. In a recently released promo video, a member of 'Iron Mike's' team said: "We're not looking to throw just one bomb. We want to throw missile after missile." One of his trainers has claimed Paul would be in a world of trouble if he were to step in the ring right now. "If the fight were today, Jake Paul would be done," he said. "He throws missiles, not just one bomb. The bombs, they come one after another."
There have been concerns for Tyson's health ahead of the bout after he recently admitted: "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."
Boxing fans have been left divided as Tyson recently released training photos ahead of his showdown with Paul. Many have also questioned how seriously he is taking the fight after a staggering admission. During his recent chat with Jimmy Kimmel, 'Iron Mike' claimed he was training six hours a day. "I am training extremely hard, I do six hours a day. I start at 11am and might leave the gym at 5pm," he said. Kimmel looked stunned and replied: "Oh no. 11am? So that's six hours straight, or is there a lunch break?" The former heavyweight champion admitted there was a small break as a shocked Kimmel gasped: "Oh no."
There are fears that he could even face a potential ban from boxing if he if he fails a drug test after admitting he could smoke cannabis in the days leading up to the fight. In the same chat with Kimmel, the American was asked if he intends to be high during his bout with Paul, replying: “I’m going to be so high off life, yeah." Kimmel then asked: “Will you be high on marijuana, as well?" Tyson replied: "That’s a possibility, too." The host then commented: "Oh no my bet is getting lower as we talk."
With that being said, it remains unclear how serious his statement was. However, if Tyson does intend to smoke weed before his fight with 'The Problem Child,' then he could be banned by the Texas Commission as the drug is on the sanctioning body's list of prohibited substances.
