Former heavyweight champion Mike Tyson admitted he is nervous and afraid to get in the ring with Jake Paul. Nevertheless, he assured fans that the fear is part of his game plan.
The 57-year-old boxing legend is facing off against Jake, 27, for their exhibition fight on July 20 in Arlington, Texas.
Mike confessed in an interview with Fox News’ Sean Hannity on Tuesday night that he was shaking in his boxing boots, but he explained how these are not the typical, run-of-the-mill pre-fight jitters.
Mike Tyson made an honest confession about being "afraid" to get in the ring with Jake Paul, who is about half his age
Image credits: miketyson
“I have a weird personality,” he told Sean. “I don’t think it’s weird though. Whatever I’m afraid to do, I do it. And that’s how it is. I was afraid of the Roy [Jones Jr.] fight [in 2020].
“I was 100 pounds overweight. I was however old, 54, 53, and I said, ‘Let’s do it.’ Anything I’m afraid of, I confront it. And that’s my personality. Right now, I’m scared to death,” the boxer admitted.
“As the fight gets closer, the less nervous I become because it’s reality, and in reality, I’m invincible,” Mike declared.
The boxing legend explained that the fear factor was part of his game plan, and he gets less nervous as the date of the game approaches
Image credits: Mike Tyson
The seasoned boxer, who appeared to have no qualms about the three-decade-wide age gap between him and Jake, said he needed the fear factor before going head-to-head with his opponent.
“I always believed that adversity and nervousness pretty much catapulted me into success,” Mike went on to say. “If I didn’t have these feelings, I wouldn’t go into this fight. I have to have these feelings to fight. Without them, I would never go in the ring.”
Mike Tyson said his opponent has come a long way since he began making viral videos on YouTube
Mike revealed that he isn’t taking the fight with Jake lightly and acknowledged that the youngster has come a long way since doing “weird” things on the internet.
“I saw a YouTube of him at 16 doing weird dances. That’s not the guy I’m gonna be fighting,” Mike said. “This guy is gonna come, he’s gonna try to hurt me, which I’m accustomed to, and he’s gonna be greatly mistaken.”
Both Mike and Jake have been posting videos capturing them aggressively training before the upcoming fight.
Jake shared videos of him sweating it out during training sessions while preparing for the battle against the seasoned boxer
“You still wanna f--- with me?” Mike asked last month in a post he shared with the hashtag #PaulTyson.
Jake joined the verbal sparring with the veteran boxer and said, “He may be stronger. He may be more experienced. But he will not outwork me. That I guarantee you. Training with Olympians at 6000 feet. #PaulTyson.”