Mike Tyson 's former boxing trainer predicts that his upcoming showdown with YouTuber-turned-boxer Jake Paul could be over inside a minute.
The pair were set to go head-to-head earlier this summer, but 'Iron Mike' was forced to postpone his return to the ring after suffering from an inflamed ulcer. Tyson was forced to stop training on his doctor's orders but has recently returned to the gym and insists he will be ready to walk to the ring later this year.
The clash between the two big stars is set to take place on Friday, November 15 in Arlington, Texas at the AT&T Stadium in front of up to 90,000 fans. Tyson's last professional outing came in 2005 when he lost to Kevin McBride. His last bout took place in an exhibition against fellow legend Roy Jones Jr behind closed doors in 2020. As for Paul, the 27-year-old defeated former UFC fighter Mike Perry back in July in his last outing.
Jeff Fenech, a former professional boxer himself, trained Tyson to defeats against Danny Williams and McBride in 2004 and 2005. Despite concerns over Tyson's health and his ability to fight at the age of 58, Fenech insists that he isn't worried and believes 'Iron Mike' could end the fight quickly if he follows instructions.
And speaking to Wide World of Sports, Fenech said: “I do not doubt if Mike takes it easy and doesn’t try to punch at the same time [he will win]. If he makes Jake Paul miss, Mike will knock him out in a couple of rounds – one hundred percent. I spoke to Mike. I told him what I felt. Hopefully, he’ll listen to me. We said the same thing anyway. If he does what he said, then I have no doubt he will knock him out. He’ll have no problem.”
Fenech, who has suffered from health problems of his own, has admitted that he's worried about Tyson ahead of November's clash with Paul. "We were talking about my health and that [on the phone]. I’m not worried about my health; don’t get me wrong, I am, but I’m more worried about him. I hope he does the right thing to beat Jake Paul,'' he added. “If Mike lands one clean punch, and if he makes him miss, he will make him pay. If he doesn’t try and strike at the same time and is patient, the fight could be over in one minute.”
Tyson recently revealed he was struggling to walk after completing six rounds of sparring - further adding concern for his health ahead of the bout. The American recently admitted to being a 'junkie' and has previously confessed to smoking weed every day as well as micro-dosing magic mushrooms to help him recover between sessions before his last fight with Jones Jr. Tyson sensationally claimed that he was even high during the fight itself.
In an interview with Jimmy Kimmel, when Tyson was asked if he intends to be high during his bout with Paul, he replied: “I’m going to be so high off life, yeah." Kimmel then asked: “Will you be high on marijuana, as well?" Tyson replied: "That’s a possibility, too." The host then commented: "Oh no my bet is getting lower as we talk."
It would appear Tyson is clearly not taking the fight seriously after a staggering admission. During his chat with Kimmel, 'Iron Mike' claimed he was training six hours a day. "I am training extremely hard, I do six hours a day. I start at 11am and might leave the gym at 5pm," he said. Kimmel looked stunned and replied: "Oh no. 11am? So that's six hours straight, or is there a lunch break?" The former heavyweight champion admitted there was a small break as a shocked Kimmel gasped: "Oh no."
