A bemused Mike Tyson initially had little to say during a news conference to promote his Nov. 15 fight with Jake Paul that will stream live on Netflix. The event was held Sunday at Fanatics Fest in New York.
Paul relished his role as the "villain," showered with boos from fans in attendance and responding with insults and obscene gestures. Referring to himself as an "anti-hero," Paul compared himself to Muhammad Ali, who was "the most hated, the most criticized" boxer during his career.
Host Ryan Clark tried many times to lead Tyson into making provocative statements and trash-talking. Paul taunted him for postponing the fight, originally scheduled for July 20, reportedly due to an ulcer flare-up — or as Paul called it, "a little menopause break."
Mike Tyson refusing to get drawn into Jake Paul's trash talk at their press conference today ahead of Nov 15th: "Old-ass motherf***er. I'm gonna discipline you like a son."
— Michael Benson (@MichaelBensonn) August 18, 2024
Yet Tyson, 58, didn't seem interested, often shaking his head and holding up his hands. At one point, he even asked the crowd to "be respectful." Considering what Tyson has said about opponents such as Donovan Ruddock and Lennox Lewis in the past, that was disappointing.
The former world heavyweight champion acted like he knew this was a show, a pro wrestling-like spectacle. Most of his previous bouts had actual championship stakes to them. Or perhaps Tyson has become more accustomed to being a lovable, almost comedic figure now instead of the once-fearsome presence he was in the sport.
Meanwhile, Paul, 27, frequently mentioned what this fight could do for him, his bank account (boasting of making $40 million) and his validity as a boxer if he knocked out a legend and made history — even with their 30-plus-year age difference.
Based on his unwillingness to engage, Tyson's message appeared to be that he would do his talking in the ring. Or maybe that everyone already knows what Tyson is capable of, so he has nothing to prove, unlike Paul, whose accomplishments are orchestrated, in the view of many boxing fans.
Maybe Tyson just had to get into the spirit of the spectacle on his own terms. Toward the end of the news conference, once the fighters began taking questions from reporters, he provided some quotable material, saying he would "f*** [Paul] up."
“As soon as I catch this guy, it’s totally over," he said, implying that Paul would spend most of the fight running away from him.
Ultimately, Tyson didn't seem to take Paul — or this entire endeavor — very seriously. When the two posed for their face-off, Tyson laughed and playfully shoved Paul, who kept a formidable demeanor.
If Tyson behaves that way in the ring, it could be to Paul's advantage. However, that would do little to dispel the notion that the legendary boxer is simply doing this for a big payday (rumored to be $20 million) on Nov. 15 in Arlington, Texas.
