Mike Tyson was beaten by Tyson Paul on Friday night (Image: Al Bello/Getty Images for Netflix 2024)
Jake Paul and his team were reportedly in the dark about Mike Tyson’s health scares prior to their boxing match, despite the heavyweight icon revealing he feared for his life.
stepped back into the professional ring for the first time since 2005 last Friday to face . In a Texas showdown, ‘The Problem Child’ , although he didn’t manage to deliver any knockout blows during the fight.
Post-fight CompuBox statistics showed that Tyson connected with just 18 punches throughout the eight rounds, landing only four of his 13 power punches to the body and failing to hit with any of his five jabs.
After his defeat, Tyson, a former heavyweight world champion, confessed on X that he “almost died” before the bout.
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“This is one of those situations when you lost but still won. I’m grateful for last night. No regrets to get in ring one last time. I almost died in June. Had 8 blood transfusions. Lost half my blood and 25lbs in hospital and had to fight to get healthy to fight so I won. 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. Thank you.”
Paul’s business associate Nakisa Bidarian disclosed on ‘The Ariel Helwani Show’ that they were oblivious to Tyson’s health issues prior to the fight, stating: “That sentiment that was shared by him on that post, was never shared with us. We have the doctor’s reports, we have the conversations with the doctor’s, that was never something we thought about… him close to losing his life or whatever it was he said in the post.
“I appreciate there was a lot of emotion leading up to that event and I appreciate him the next day him reflecting on what he went through, but I can unequivocally say every single report we had from the his team, every conversation we had his doctor’s were nothing other than ‘he’s 100 per cent going to be able to compete, starting at the end of August, early September’.”
Tyson’s bout with Paul was initially scheduled for July but got delayed due to Tyson experiencing a health scare on a plane. Tyson opened up about the frightening ordeal before their rescheduled match, revealing: “I was in the bathroom throwing up blood. I asked the doctor, ‘Am I going to die?’ He said, ‘We have options.’ Options? I couldn’t believe it. I had, like, eight blood transfusions.
“The doctor said I lost half my blood. I almost died. I lost 25 pounds in 11 days. Couldn’t eat. Only liquids. Every time I went to the bathroom, it smelled like tar. Didn’t even smell like —- anymore. It was disgusting.
“It threw me off [when I continued training]. All my coordination, stamina, everything was hectic getting back. I was peaked already. I could have fought him that day. Now I got to start from scratch. I just don’t give up. I’m an a****** sometimes. I’m a d***. If I haven’t outlived my enemies, I’ve turned them into my friends.”