For the second time in New York City, Mike Tyson and Jake Paul met face-to-face in a news conference Sunday to hype up their November bout. And, after his health scare in May, Tyson said he’s ready to go.
‘It’s happening,’ Tyson said when asked if the fight would go on as scheduled, Nov. 15 in Arlington, Texas. ‘We’re all here. … I’m prepared. I’m very prepared. I had a small adversity, I got sick, but I got better. I feel good.’
Held at the Fanatics Fest event in the Javits Center in Hell’s Kitchen, this marked the first time Tyson had resumed marketing and press duties since he suffered an ulcer flare-up during a flight May 26, requiring medical attention. The fight, which had been originally scheduled for July 20, was pushed back to allow Tyson to recover and resume his training. Tyson said Sunday that he has been in his training camp for ‘two weeks, three weeks’ since doctors have cleared him to fight.
‘I’m beautiful,’ Tyson added, with his typical charm.
Tyson, 58, is 31 years older than Paul, who embraced his role Sunday as the villain in this bout. Tyson was clearly the fan favorite, given his roots from the Brownsville neighborhood in east Brooklyn. The first time Paul was asked a question, the crowd at the Javits Center jeered Paul, setting him up quite neatly for his defensive reaction.
‘Hey, New York, shut the (expletive) up, New York,’ Paul yelled to the crowd. ‘Boo yourselves. Boo yourselves, New York. Hey, New York, you’re just like Mike Tyson, you were good 20 years ago.’
Paul continued to bring the ire throughout the event, vowing to knock Tyson out. At one point, he compared himself to Muhammad Ali, and then later said he’s not ‘here to do (expletive) besides make a bag.’ Still, Paul said this fight, which some have criticized as being a glorified exhibition, is a strategic step he is taking in his boxing career.
‘There’s a lot of big names out there who want to fight me,’ Paul said. ‘I still want (super middleweight undisputed champion of the world) Canelo Álvarez and I want to go on the path of world championship, and that’s what I’m here to do and I will make it happen. And when it does happen, people are going to go: ‘(Expletive), that kid knew something we didn’t.”