Mike Tyson made a terrifying admission regarding his boxing match with Jake Paul as controversy continues to plague the fight.
Mike Tyson, the youngest heavyweight champion in boxing history, faced off against YouTuber-turned-boxer Jake Paul on November 15 at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas.
Despite a record-breaking crowd of 72,000 fans and over 60 million households tuning in on Netflix, the bout ended with a unanimous decision in Paul’s favor, marking a loss for Tyson’s first professional fight in 19 years.
Dubbed “The Baddest Man on the Planet,” the 58-year-old Tyson stepped back into the spotlight to challenge the 27-year-old Paul.
Yet, the eight-round contest of two-minute bouts was anything but electrifying.
Fans and critics described the fight as slow and uneventful, with Paul securing a judges’ victory but failing to deliver the explosive finish many had hoped for.
Following the loss, Tyson’s new global ranking by BoxRec placed him at 309th among heavyweight boxers - an understandable decline from his heyday but still remarkable for a man in his late fifties returning after a 19-year hiatus.
However, Tyson has since opened up to Fox Sports Radio about how he felt during the fight itself.
“I don’t remember the fight that much, I kind of blanked out a little,” Tyson said.
“I remember coming back from the first round and Jake is doing some kind of… I don’t know what he was doing (leans forward pretending to bow), and that’s the last thing I remember.”
The moment Tyson referenced occurred in the final seconds of the eighth round when Paul bowed to him as a gesture of respect.
Despite its significance, Tyson admitted that his memory of the event is hazy, adding that he only became aware of his physical toll the next day.
“I don’t remember it. But my body was really sore (after the fight). My chest, my stomach was really sore,” Tyson explained.
The boxing icon revealed that upon waking the next day, he questioned his decision to step back into the ring.
“The day after I woke up and said to my wife, ‘Why did I do that?’ I just don’t know what the hell was going on,” he admitted.
In a statement released after the fight, Tyson reflected on the physical challenges he overcame to step back into the ring.
The former champion revealed he had faced life-threatening health issues earlier in the year, including severe blood loss that required eight transfusions.
Despite these hurdles, Tyson viewed the fight as a personal victory, per the New York Post.
“This is one of those situations when you lost but still won,” he said. “I almost died in June. Had eight blood transfusions. Lost half my blood and 25lbs (11kg) in hospital and had to fight to get healthy to fight so I won.”
Tyson also noted how meaningful it was for his children to witness him fight.
“To have my children see me stand toe to toe and finish eight rounds with a talented fighter half my age in front of a packed Dallas Cowboy stadium is an experience that no man has the right to ask for. Thank you," he said.