- Mike Tyson interview with teen reporter went viral over the weekend
- Former heavyweight champion dismissed the notion of ‘legacy’ in the interview
- 58-year-old boxing legend lost via decision to YouTuber Jake Paul in much derided fight on Netflix
In the end, Jake Paul’s boxing match against Mike Tyson went pretty much the way everyone in possession of a modicum of common sense expected it to go. A tepid eight round fight played out to boos and jeers as the YouTuber and the long-retired former champion tip toed around each other before Paul emerged victorious via unanimous decision.
Tyson never once looked like he would win the fight. In truth, the youngest heavyweight champion in history never looked interested in winning. Tyson had already secured a $20m payday just by agreeing to the fight and, given the fact he almost died from an ulcer flareup six months ago, it was a miracle the 58-year-old even made it to the ring in the first place.
Still, seeing an almost 60-year-old man, fighting almost 20 years after his last professional bout, struggle round a ring against a YouTuber, made for uncomfortable viewing. Especially for people who remember Tyson at the peak of his powers in the 1980’s.
The loss to Paul is now counted towards Tyson’s official win-loss record, leaving the ‘Baddest Man on the Planet’ with a 50-7 record. It is also a performance which brings up the legacy of Tyson, which is something the man himself went viral for over the weekend, after conducting a very blunt and very, very funny interview with 14-year-old journalist Jazlyn “Jazzy” Guerra for Jazzys World TV.
The interview, which has already racked up tens of millions of views across multiple social media platforms over the last few days, sees Tyson shut down the notion of ‘legacy’, in a manner not exactly befitting the vibe of the interview itself.
“I don’t believe in the word ‘legacy.’ I just think that’s another word for ego. Legacy doesn’t mean nothing. That’s just some word everybody grabbed on to. It means absolutely nothing to me. I’m just passing through. I’m gonna die and it’s gonna be over. Who cares about legacy after that?”
Not content with hit initial rant, Tyson continued, “So I’m gonna die. I want people to think that I’m this, I’m great? We’re just dead. We’re dust. We’re absolutely nothing. Our legacy is nothing.”
The words felt very jarring at the time the interview went live, but post-fight, feel as if they were a pre-cursor. As if Tyson was giving the viewing public an advanced warning about what was going to happen. That he knew the fight wasn’t going to be a serious affair, given his opponent, given the fact it was only eight two-minute rounds rather than 12 three-minute rounds. Perhaps Mike Tyson knew his legacy was about to be viewed differently after the Paul fight and wanted to distance himself from an in-ring legacy that was about to be tarnished by a tepid defeat, more than 30 years after his prime.
Tyson hinted at a further fight, post-defeat, by calling out Paul’s older brother, Logan, who also wrestles in WWE, where he is a former United States Champion. There is no word as of yet if that fight is going to be made official, however.
