Mike Tyson has shared footage from his first day of training as he gets ready to face Jake Paul in a controversial boxing match this summer.
Last week, it was announced that the 57-year-old retired heavyweight legend would be stepping back into the ring to take on YouTuber-turned-boxer Paul, who is 30 years younger.
The fight will take place at the AT&T Stadium in Texas on July 20 and will be broadcast globally on Netflix, though there is no confirmation yet about the fight rules.
Tyson has not fought professionally since 2005, but he had a high-profile exhibition fight against fellow legend Roy Jones Jr in 2020, with no knockouts allowed over eight two-minute rounds.
There have been suggestions that this time the fight could be sanctioned under professional rules with the Texas Boxing Commission, while Paul’s manager recently dismissed rumors about wearing protective headwear in the fight..
Mike Tyson seems to be taking the fight seriously and has already started his training, four months ahead of the fight.
On Thursday, the veteran heavyweight – who will be 58 at the time of the Paul fight – uploaded footage of himself in the gym looking almost as explosive as he did in his prime.
While stamina may be an issue on the fight night, Tyson looked fierce as he worked the body bag, unleashing a series of combinations, before saying: “It's day one, the fun has just begun.”
While Tyson looked impressive in the training footage, there are concerns about whether he should be facing someone much younger, with promoter Eddie Hearn describing the fight as a 'sad day' for boxing.
Jake’s brother Logan, another YouTuber-turned-fighter, recently claimed that he was also offered the opportunity to fight Mike Tyson but declined, saying he was 'too old' and 'senile'.
Asked who approached who, Jake said: “It started with Tommy Fury, he wanted more money and there wasn’t more money.
“Then we went to Mike Tyson and after like months of talking, got him to be down to fight, and so Mike Tyson wasn’t offering people deals. So I don’t know what he’s [Logan] talking about.”
Explaining his decision to accept the fight, Tyson said: “I’m very much looking forward to stepping into the ring with Jake Paul. He’s grown significantly as a boxer over the years, so it will be a lot of fun to see what the will and ambition of a 'kid' can do with the experience and aptitude of a GOAT.
It’s a full circle moment that will be beyond thrilling to watch; as I started him on his boxing journey on the undercard of my fight with Roy Jones and now I plan to finish him.
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