admin
Mike Tyson has disclosed that he “almost died” before his major bout with Jake Paul.
Now, many of us were hopeful that the former world champion still had it when we learned that Tyson, who is 58 years old, would be returning to the ring to fight someone who is 31 years his junior in his first professional boxing match in 19 years.
Would Tyson still be able to fight with the same unrivaled intensity that made him the youngest world champion ever?
Unfortunately, no.
Tyson obviously had a few rounds with Father Time before he went between the ropes on Friday night in front of 72,000 fans at AT&T Stadium in Texas and an estimated 120 million watching from home.
Consequently, the Tyson vs. Paul bout fell short of expectations, with fans calling the action “slow,” “sluggish,” and downright “boring” despite the bout’s eight two-minute rounds.
The judges ultimately decided unanimously that Paul was the winner.
When Ariel Helwani addressed Tyson, who appeared to be rather disappointed by his defeat, about his knee brace and potential injury during his post-fight interview in the ring, the boxer said, “Yeah, but I can’t use that for an excuse, because – if I did – I wouldn’t be in here.”
But before returning to the ring, Tyson appears to have suffered much more than a knee injury. It was widely reported at the end of May of this year that Tyson had experienced a medical issue while traveling by air.
On May 28, he tweeted, “Now feeling 100% even though I don’t need to be to beat Jake Paul,” reassuring followers that he could still go.
However, Tyson has spoken out about “almost dying” back in June, suggesting that he endured more than any of us could have predicted.
“This is one of those situations where you lost but still won,” Tyson wrote on X. Thank you for last night. To get in the ring one last time, there are no regrets.
Tyson went on: “I nearly passed away in June. received eight blood transfusions. In the hospital, I lost half of my blood and twenty-five pounds. I had to strive to recover so that I could fight, and I prevailed.
The renowned fighter then talked candidly about how important it is for his family to attend his show on Friday night.
“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,” he stated. “Thank you.”
Paul later replied, “I love you, Mike,” in response to Tyson’s post. It was a privilege. We are all inspired by you.
