The combat sports world has been abuzz with conversations surrounding the upcoming boxing clash between Mike Tyson and Jake Paul.
Set to take place at the AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas, the event is going to be aired globally on Netflix and is an exclusive for the platform. Initially, the date for the fight was set as July 20, but due to a health scare suffered by Tyson, Paul took on former UFC star and ‘King of Violence’ Mike Perry instead.
Now, the new date for the clash is set for November 15, but according to Chael Sonnen, it might be more concerning than exciting for both Tyson and Jake Paul.
Mike Tyson is now in his late 50’s and Chael Sonnen recently painted a picture for his upcoming boxing clash against Jake Paul that raises more questions than it answers. Speaking on his YouTube channel, the UFC veteran shared, “It’s too hard to walk, but 2 months from now, everything’s gonna be just right. That’s a quote from Iron Mike Tyson. Mike pulled out, and was it a suspected heart attack or a stroke? Something very serious. I don’t say this at all to be fine, but I can’t remember.”
The issue Sonnen is referring to was an ulcer flare-up that sidelined Tyson from the July date for the fight. According to a statement after the incident, Tyson had stated, “Unfortunately, due to my ulcer flareup, I have been advised by my doctor to lighten my training for a few weeks to rest and recover”
Sonnen, in his usual blunt manner, expressed, “Was Mike training after that? Did this buy Mike 5 more months to prepare for Jake Paul?”, an important concern. Paul, who has built a career on shocking the world with unexpected wins, might just be getting better with time. The 58-year-old Tyson, however, is on the opposite end of that spectrum.
As such, the former UFC middleweight further shared, “Took Mike Tyson out of the fight. It took him off of an airplane. When he got off the airplane, he couldn’t walk on his own, evident of the fact that he was placed in a wheelchair.” Sonnen’s concerns aren’t just about Tyson’s past health scares. He questioned whether any athletic commission should even be allowing Tyson to step into the ring again.
Yet he further indicated, that there seems to be no public statement or even a second thought from the commission regarding Tyson’s ability to compete. But according to ‘Iron Mike’ himself, he’s not in this fight for the financial rewards but for something else entirely!
Mike Tyson is not in the fight for money but to “see who I really am”
With a 30-year difference in the ages between Mike Tyson and Jake Paul, and the legendary boxing heavyweight’s recent health scares, concerns are running high among combat sports fans. Tyson’s past success as a boxer and several lucrative ventures have already made him financially comfortable, so, does ‘Iron Mike’ really need to take on this fight?
At the recent Cage Wars 67 event, Tyson was present as a commentator and shared an interesting glimpse at the reason why he is still ready to step back into the squared circle. ‘Iron Mike’ shared, “I could be waiting on a check every day from cannabis. That’s bullsh*t for me. I’m a man, I want to go out there and I want to expose myself to risk. Sometimes I want to see who I really am”
His cannabis company, Tyson 2.0 was launched in 2021 and has since amassed a reported worth of over $160 million in 2023. With that being said, Tyson revealed, “To me, that’s all I ever knew how to do since I was 14. This fight is not going to change my life financially enough. This is just what I want to do.”
Tyson has always been a warrior, but at what point does determination become recklessness? Chael Sonnen’s concerns about Tyson’s ability to compete at this stage in his life only add to the unease.