Mike Tyson has spoken about his post-fight emotions (Image: Getty)
has candidly shared his feelings of being “kind of depressed” after his lucrative clash with , despite walking away $20million richer. The boxing legend failed to come out on top in their recent fight, which was decided in eight rounds with the judges scoring it 80-72, 79-73 and 79-73 unanimously in Paul’s favour.
While the defeat was a tough one to swallow, the hefty payday was a silver lining for Tyson, who discussed the emotional lows following the high-stakes match in a chat with Steve Covino and Rich Davis on the FOX Sports Radio YouTube channel earlier this month.
The 58-year-old sports icon reflected on his post-fight mood and the adjustment back to everyday life, saying: “That fight was such a big ascent-we were so up and high, we were so excited. The fight’s over, boom. Wow, I’m kind of depressed a little bit. We got to get back [into] our living situation [daily life], back to living. [We were] training for it 9 months.”
His comments reveal the psychological toll that such a significant event can take, even with financial rewards and the fact that streaming giant aired the event, citing it as the most streamed sporting event ever.
Over 108 million viewers tuned in to to watch the much-anticipated boxing event. Social media was rampant with chatter before, during and after the fight, but not all fans were thrilled about it. Some criticized that the bout didn’t live up the hype, pointing out Tyson’s lack of vigour throughout the match.
Speaking with 7News, Tyson described the encounter as surreal, saying: “Magically. It just happened so quick. Eight rounds were over fast. I wasn’t tired. I wasn’t sweating. I didn’t understand that.”
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Jake Paul defeated Mike Tyson via unanimous decision (Image: Getty)
During his appearance on a FOX radio show, Tyson recounted his fragmented memories from the fight. “I don’t remember the fight that much, I kind of blanked out a little.”
He continued, revealing his bewilderment during a peculiar moment in the ring: “Coming back from the first round and then the next thing I remember Jake was doing some kind of, I don’t know, a bow. And that’s the last thing I remember. I thought he was gonna hit me, I thought what the hell is he doing? “.
Millions tuned in to watch Tyson take on Paul (Image: Getty)
Moreover, Paul’s camp addressed rumours claiming the fight was fixed. In a robust rebuttal, Most Valuable Promotions, associated with ‘The Problem Child’, declared in a recent statement: “Rigging a professional boxing match is a federal crime in the United States of America. Paul vs. Tyson was a professional match sanctioned by the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulations (TDLR).
“Both fighters in good faith performed to the best of their abilities with the goal of winning the fight. There were absolutely no restrictions – contractual or otherwise around either fighter. Each boxer was able to use his full arsenal to win the fight. Any agreement to the contrary would violate TDLR boxing rules.
“Trash talk and speculation are common in sports, and athletes and promoters need to tolerate nonsensical commentary, jokes and opinions. But suggesting anything other than full effort from these fighters is not only naïve but an insult to the work they put into their craft and to the sport itself.”