MMA manager Ali Abdelaziz has dished out the latest scoop on Mike Tyson's prep for his much-anticipated face-off with Jake Paul, the YouTuber-turned-boxer.
The heavyweight legend was all set to duke it out with the internet celeb in July, but health woes forced Tyson to delay his comeback after an inflamed ulcer reared its ugly head. The former champion had to hang up his gloves temporarily on doctor's orders but is now back in action at the gym, vowing to be battle-ready for next month's match.
The rescheduled rumble between Paul and Tyson is locked in for Friday, November 15, at Arlington, Texas' colossal AT&T Stadium, where a crowd of up to 90,000 could witness the spectacle. 'Iron Mike', whose last pro fight dates back to a 2005 defeat by Kevin McBride, also stepped into the ring for an exhibition with Roy Jones Jr in 2020.
Meanwhile, 27-year-old Paul triumphed over ex-UFC combatant Mike Perry this past July in his most recent bout. Tyson's recent admission that he's had trouble walking post-six rounds of sparring has fans fretting over his fitness for the upcoming clash.But Abdelaziz, who's tight with the boxing legend, assures everyone that Tyson, at 58, is fighting fit. He said to Kevin Iole: "Listen, as far as I know, his training camp is going good.
"He's feeling amazing. I would like Mike Tyson to put a hole in his head. But, in a way, who are we to tell Mike Tyson not fight.
"I think Mike Tyson, win, or lose, or draw, [he is] one of the most recognizable figures in the sports history. Anywhere, in Africa, in Asia, America, everywhere. I think nobody has the place, but his family, to tell him to fight or not to fight. This is my opinion."
Abdelaziz was then asked for his thoughts as to why the event is being billed as 'Paul vs Tyson,' with 'The Problem Child's' name first, and the 46-year-old had a passionate response to the question.
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"Listen, if I'm fighting Mike Tyson, I want Mike Tyson's name to be first. Nobody knows who Jake Paul is. Jake Paul went to a PFL event and got booed out of the building, nobody gives a s*** about Jake Paul. He can't sell 100,000 pay-per-views. The only reason, he's using Mike Tyson to be relevant, he [Paul] is irrelevant.
"Let's be real, honestly, if it was me, I'd never want to fight somebody who is older than me. But he [Paul] is weak. He wants to pray on somebody older. But, I never doubt Mike Tyson.
"He trains with my friend Rafael Cordeiro, they're having a great camp, they keep pushing it. And guess what, I'm all the way for Mike Tyson.?
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