The 58-year-old has taken a well-earned break from the sport of boxing following his defeat to YouTuber-turned-boxer Jake Paul back in November
Former heavyweight world champion Mike Tyson appears to be enjoying some time off following his boxing showdown with Jake Paul.
The 58-year-old went glove-to-glove with the YouTuber-turned-boxer back in November. It was Tyson’s first professional outing since suffering a defeat to Kevin McBride in 2005. He did, however, take part in an exhibition showdown against legendary boxer Roy Jones Jr in 2020 prior to his clash with ‘The Problem Child.’
That said, the dust-up with the 27-year-old was a big step up for ‘Iron Mike’ – largely down to the huge age gap. Therefore, the boxing veteran had to take preparations for the contest very seriously. Tyson impressed many with his ripped physique ahead of the heavyweight fight.
While the American looked sharp in training, he was unable to roll back the years on fight night as his age was on full display in Texas. Despite failing to get the knockout, Paul would go on to cruise to a unanimous decision victory and extended his professional boxing record to 11-1.
Seven weeks on from the fight, Tyson has enjoyed a nice break and has gained a fair bit of weight. After a long and gruelling training camp, it now appears as if the American’s mind isn’t in the ring after spending time with his family over the Christmas period.
Ahead of his defeat to Paul, Tyson admitted he “almost died”. Taking to Twitter, the legendary fighter wrote: “This is one of those situations when you lost but still won. I’m grateful for last night. No regrets to get in ring one last time.
“I almost died in June. Had 8 blood transfusions. Lost half my blood and 25lbs in hospital and had to fight to get healthy to fight so I won. To have my children see me stand toe to toe and finish 8 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.”
Tyson was originally set to take on Paul in July but the fight was postponed due to the former going through a health scare on a flight. Opening up on the incident ahead of the clash, Tyson said to New York Magazine: “I was in the bathroom throwing up blood.
“I asked the doctor, ‘Am I going to die?’ He said, ‘We have options.’ Options? I couldn’t believe it. I had, like, eight blood transfusions. The doctor said I lost half my blood. I almost died.
“I lost 25 pounds in 11 days. Couldn’t eat. Only liquids. Every time I went to the bathroom, it smelled like tar. Didn’t even smell like s* anymore. It was disgusting. It threw me off [when I continued training]. All my coordination, stamina, everything was hectic getting back. I was peaked already. I could have fought him that day. Now I got to start from scratch. I just don’t give up. I’m an a* sometimes. I’m a d. If I haven’t outlived my enemies, I’ve turned them into my friends.”
