Mike Tyson has opened up on his motivations for boxing Jake Paul, as the heavyweight legend awaits his delayed fight with the YouTuber.
Tyson, 58, and Paul, 27, were due to box each other on Saturday (20 July), but “Iron Mike” suffered an ulcer flare-up on a flight in May. That health scare meant the officially sanctioned, professional bout was delayed until November, with Paul instead facing former UFC fighter Mike Perry this weekend.
Paul, who is 9-1 as a pro boxer, will fight the Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship star at the Amalie Arena in Tampa, Florida. Paul vs Tyson will then take place on 15 November at the AT&T Stadium in Dallas, Texas – as originally planned.
When asked by Esquire about his motivation for fighting Paul, Tyson turned to his team and asked: “Can I be honest?” The former world champion then told his interviewer: “I don’t think he can hurt me.
“[And] I’m a glory junkie. I love people thinking about me all day. I’d rather live a short life of glory than a long life of obscurity. It’s just who I am.
“This is all I started fighting for: to get all this f***ing status. I’m going to be chasing it for the rest of my life, I know that. I’m never going to get what I want, because I’m one of those gluttons for pain. I can never get enough.”
Tyson’s fight with Paul will be the 58-year-old’s first since 2020, when he drew with Roy Jones Jr in an exhibition bout. Prior to that contest, Tyson last fought in 2006, when he retired from pro boxing.
Paul vs Tyson has been the subject of fierce criticism since it was announced earlier this year. In an unprecedented move, the fight will stream live on Netflix.
