Mike Tyson’s training camp for his ring return was a well-protected sanctuary, with very few people outside of his fight team getting in.
But one man who earned an invite was Tyson’s fellow Brownsville native Bruce Carrington. The featherweight prospect had paid tribute to ‘Iron Mike’ with a promo after one of his recent fights in Madison Square Garden, and clearly excited the legendary former heavyweight champion.
And Carrington has told of how he is confident that the boxing icon will reel in the years after seeing him compete in the ring for serious sparring. He watched an entire eight-round session, and reckons Tyson will be able to win him his $1million bet with Jake Paul from Wednesday’s press conference.
Bruce Carrington reveals insider details from Mike Tyson sparring sessions
Earlier this year, Bruce Carrington was brought into Mike Tyson’s training camp and managed to get a rare look at some live rounds in the gym. The legendary puncher faced regular teammate Mike Russell over eight rounds, imitating the exact length of his scheduled bout with Paul.
At the age of 58, there are concerns about his cardio and his ability to last the distance with a 27-year-old hard-hitter. But speaking with Bloody Elbow, Carrington noted that he is still a “scary” man when he gets in the ring.
“The one thing I was worried about was his stamina,” he explained in an exclusive chat. “But he started to just get warmed up in round four! Jake is going to run into a big problem. He did like seven or eight rounds to get prepared for this fight.
“Mike was always intense, and I feel like something like this is going to be very foreign to Jake. That energy, that intensity, he might break down. It was a dream come true, something I actually couldn’t have even dreamed of.
“I never thought I would get the opportunity to watch ‘the’ Mike Tyson spar, and when I got that opportunity I couldn’t pass it up at all.”
Jake Paul made $1million bet over result with Bruce Carrington – and ‘Shu Shu’ wants to be paid
Towards the end of Wednesday’s final press conference, host Ariel Helwani asked the undercard fighters to pick a winner between Paul and Mike Tyson. Carrington was one of a majority who picked the Brownsville native, much to Paul’s annoyance.
“He’s very eloquent, but that day I was off my meds.” @MikeTyson reacts to Bruce Carrington’s promo.#PaulTyson @Netflix pic.twitter.com/63dlbneIKn
— Ariel Helwani (@arielhelwani) November 14, 2024
When the social media star got in his face and demanded that he put his money where his mouth is, they ended up settling on a $1million bet. And ‘Shu Shu’ will be demanding his cash if Tyson does get the job done later tonight.
“In the main event, I’m going for a Mike Tyson knockout,” he added. “I’ll give it round five or six. Then Jake better give me my million… Man, listen, Jake, I’ll put my house down, or a million dollars – Mike Tyson is knocking you out!”
Bruce Carrington claims he would ‘run circles’ around Jake Paul despite 100lb difference
It really appeared that Carrington’s endorsement of Tyson stung Paul, who is also promoting this evening’s festivities. His Most Valuable Promotions and Netflix will be paying the 27-year-old a career-high purse to open the show, and Paul mocked his earning potential in a heated moment.
When Paul asked him how much he wanted to bet, Carrington quick-wittedly zinged him by asking ‘how much do you want to lose?’ This really angered ‘El Gallo’, who replied that “the time I spend taking a s*** is how much you make in your whole life”.
And despite the pair weighing in over 100lb apart, Carrington is confident that if they met in the ring it would not be a good night for him. “I’d run circles around Jake,” he joked when asked how a bout would go. “No doubt, 100 per cent, I’ll fight him too.”