Mike Tyson knows that to beat Jake Paul, he’ll have to unleash the best within.
Aside from a surprising shove during their latest face-off, the buildup between Tyson and Paul has been mostly cordial, particularly on the end of the former heavyweight world champion who has shied away from all the trash-talk and drama that usually surrounds a typical influencer fight.
But that doesn’t mean Tyson’s mean streak isn’t still buried deep inside him.
During a recent appearance on the IMPAULSIVE podcast with Logan Paul, Tyson revealed that while he’s still haunted by his past and the man he once was, that version of himself is still alive and well and is always itching to break free.
“Here’s what I’ve learned from prior experience,” Tyson replied. “When that tough guy Tyson comes out when it’s not necessary for it to come out, I’m always in handcuffs. So I’m very careful when that guy comes out, because they break out the handcuffs. Every time I drink or get ready to fight I break out in handcuffs.
“It’s unfortunate that I have to fight and be that guy. I wish I could stop that guy. That guy haunts me. I wish that guy died. But he’s here to stay … He wants to come back every second of my life, it’s so easy for him to come back. I just think of when I was younger and people bullied me.”
Mike Tyson slams critics of the age gap between himself and jake paul
Much of the criticism surrounding Tyson’s return to the ring has revolved around his age and the fact that he’s a whopping 31 years older than his opponent. Addressing the haters, ‘Iron’ had a very simple message.
“If you think I’m too old for this fight, you need to come tell me to my face,” Tyson said.
“This is all about jealousy. They wish they could do it. They can’t. They can’t do it, they’re out there making up crazy bulls— but they wish so bad they were in our position. They wish so bad they could take care of their families the way we can. The way people yell our names. They’re world champions. No one knows their names. The sh*t talkers get all the money, the sh*t talkers get all the attention, the sh*t talkers get everything. We get a bad wrap, but we also get everything else.”
Tyson vs. Paul will emanate from the 80,000-seat AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas on Friday, November 15. The event will air live on Netflix and be available to the streaming giant’s 260+ million subscribers at no extra charge.
