The highly anticipated fight was postponed from July to November after Tyson had an ulcer flare-up
Mike Tyson is back to training after his ulcer flare-up postponed his highly anticipated match against former YouTuber Jake Paul — and Tyson is feeling confident.
Tyson, 58, spoke with Esquire magazine July 15, and didn’t mince words on his expectations going into his match against Paul, 27.
“Can I be honest? I don’t think he can hurt me,” Tyson said.
As he continues to train for his first officially sanctioned boxing match in close to two decades, Tyson is aware of the high stakes for himself, his legacy and his fans — but he’s embracing the challenge, telling the magazine, “I don’t think this was meant to be done by any man but me, I love it.”
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Addressing critics who wonder why he would agree to a fight with a social media personality when he is one of the greatest boxers to ever grace the sport, Tyson offered a simple explanation. “I’m a glory junkie. I love people thinking about me all day,” he said. “I’d rather live a short life of glory than a long life of obscurity. It’s just who I am.”
As much as fans of Tyson can’t wait to see him back in the ring, he’s just as excited. “I’m fifty-eight years old, and I’m gonna sell out an eighty-thousand-seat arena. Hey, if that’s not godlike, I don’t know what is,” Tyson said.
On Friday, June 7, promotion company Most Valuable Promotions (MVP) announced that the fight had been rescheduled as Tyson dealt with an ulcer flare-up in late May.
Their matchup is now set for Nov. 15 at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas. Tyson and Paul's fight was initially scheduled for July 20 before the champ’s health complications.
"Although we had to postpone the fight, I will resume training shortly," Tyson previously said in a release shared by MVP.
He added, "I am thankful to the medical staff that treated me and to MVP, Netflix, and AT&T Stadium for working diligently to find the best reschedule date for all parties. While we have a new date, the result will be the same no matter when we fight. Jake Paul is getting knocked out. On Friday, November 15, watch this in-person at AT&T Stadium or live on Netflix.”
