- Mike Tyson will step into the ring for the first time in 19 years on November 15
- Despite Tyson’s legendary career, Paul is the favourite heading into the fight
- “Tyson’s message to Jake Paul is one of the coldest I’ve ever heard”
Mike Tyson may be nearing 60 years of age and 20 years of retirement, but ‘The Baddest Man On The Planet’ can still deliver a pre-fight interview that will chill opponents to the bone.
The former World Heavyweight Champion will step back into the ring, 19 years since he lost to Kevin McBride, to face YouTuber-turned-boxer Jake Paul. The fight, which has been met with a large amount of skepticism and derision from some boxing fans and pundits, will be streamed on Netflix, from the AT&T Stadium in Dallas, Texas.
Despite the raised eyebrows surrounding the fight, there is still, naturally, a ton of interest in the whole affair given the names involved. Tyson, in his prime, was the biggest Pay-Per-View draw in combat sport history and to this day remains regarded as one of, if not the most, intimidating fighter to ever step foot in a boxing ring. And not only was the youngest heavyweight champion of all time a knockout artist, he also knew how to talk fans into the arenas, with some of the most unforgettable interviews in sporting history.
And, while we will have to wait a few more days to see what sort of power, technique and footwork Iron Mike has at his disposal at 58 years of age, there can be no doubt that the former WBA, WBC and IBF champion still possesses a vocabulary that is as bone-chillingly terrifying as it is enthralling.
In a clip from pre-fight series ‘Countdown: Paul vs Tyson’, Tyson is seen watching Paul cut a post-fight interview with Ariel Helwani in which the YouTuber declares, “Mike, I love you, but this is my sport now. It’s an honor to get in the ring with you. I am so, so honored. You’re a legend, but I’m going to take your throne, brother.”
Laughing gently, Tyson responds to the camera, “There’s a fundamental difference between me and Jake. He’s a manufactured killer. Television and papers made him a killer. He’s manufactured. I’m a natural born killer.”
Sports commentator Wade Plemons, who shared the clip on X, commented, “This message from Mike Tyson to Jake Paul is one of the coldest I’ve ever heard…”
The 187,000 people who liked Plemons’ post, which has already accumulated over 13 million views, seem to agree.
Tyson, who’s professional record stands at 50-6-0, won 45 out of his first 46 bouts. His first 19 fights were all ended by knockout. Despite the Hall of Famers unparalleled history in the ring, and the fact Paul has fought mainly non-boxers during his in-ring career, the former heavyweight champion is still rated as the underdog going into Saturday’s fight.
Here’s hoping his ring walk music is the suitably fitting ‘Natural Born Killaz’ by Ice Cube and Dr. Dre. A fitting mood setter for an evening, if ever there was one.
