Mike Tyson says it was a "no-brainer" to come out of retirement to face Jake Paul, as the YouTuber-turned-boxer admitted to being scared at the prospect of facing a man once considered amongst the most feared in the world.
Iron Mike is preparing for his first professional fight since 2005, taking on a man 30 years his junior in a money-spinning clash in Texas which will be broadcast live on Netflix.
It will be contested over eight two-minute rounds with each fighter using 14-ounce gloves. Tyson, who last fought in any capacity in 2020 against Roy Jones Jr., says he is aiming to "shake the sports world to its core.
Tyson, 57, told reporters at New York City's Apollo Theater: "This fight is very important. Just the fact that he is taking the opportunity to fight me is mind-blowing … I'm very impressed with what he's accomplished.”
He continued: "The people who said that [I am too old to fight] wish that they were up here. No one else can do this. Who else can do this? Who else can shut the sporting world down? No one else can do it.
"You got the both of us, so we're going to do this. We're friends. There's no doubt we're friends. But in the ring, we're not going to be friends. That's just what it is.”
Tyson, though, admitted his pre-fight training has been a struggle, adding: "I'm doing great but my body is s*** right now. I'm really sore. I wanted shorter rounds because I wanted more action. If we only have two minutes we are fighting more.
“We're going to see, huh, [if Paul can take my power]. No, I'm not [trying to put an end to Paul]. I really like Jake a lot. But once he's in that ring, he has to fight like his life is depending on it, because it will be. This seems like it's going to be fun. Maybe we'll do it again, too [against someone else]. But can I take care of Jake first, please?”
Paul, who is favourite to win the bout, said people should not overlook Tyson. "Age doesn't matter, age is just a number. He's a killer, he's a warrior, he's been doing this his whole entire life. So it's second nature to him. I've been doing this for four years.
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"I know it's going to be tough, I know I'm going to have to fight through adversity, I know I might even go to the canvas. I'm scared, don't get me wrong, but it's not about the fear stopping me, it's about going into it even though I am scared and that's what true bravery is."
