Jake Paul revealed his heartache after boxing legend Mike Tyson had to postpone their scheduled bout.
The online sensation had been gearing up for a July showdown with heavyweight icon Tyson, but unexpected health issues blindsided plans.
The 58-year-old suffered a distressing ulcer flare-up during a flight from Miami to Los Angeles, which led to an emergency hospital visit. There, doctors identified a serious, two-and-a-half-inch bleeding ulcer.
Mike Tyson changed his diet from vegan to unusual food and lost a whopping 100lb Mike Tyson's children made their feelings abundantly clear over dad's boxing comebackGiven medical advice for urgent rest, Tyson was compelled to push the fight back to November 15, pausing all training efforts. Not long after, both fighters agreed upon a new date, now with the anticipation building as they are nearing the high-stakes face-off at the AT&T Stadium in Texas, anticipated to gather a crowd of 80,000 supporters.
Paul, 27, possessing an impressive 10 wins from 11 professional fights, confessed he was utterly devastated when he learnt of Tyson's condition. In a Netflix documentary, Paul conveyed his dismay, which spoke volumes for how much he wants the bout: "When I received the news that he was out and not able to fight, I was just numb, I was just like, 'f***,'" revealing the disruption it caused in his regimented preparations.
"I'm the type of person who likes a schedule and likes to know what I'm doing. This just threw a wrench in all of that, there was nothing I could do, it was out of my control.
"Nobody can tell Mike Tyson what to do and if he wants to fight me, of course I'm going to say yes. This is the opportunity of a lifetime to fight one of the two most famous boxers to ever live; Muhammad Ali and Mike Tyson. I look at Mike Tyson as a killer so I never really expected something like this."
Paul faced off against bare-knuckle fighter and ex-UFC star Mike Perry on the date initially set for his bout with Tyson, triumphing over Perry in the sixth round. He stated: "At the end of the day the Mike Tyson fight is great but I have a goal to become world champion and I'm not slowing that down for anyone."
Tyson's last ring appearance was four years back when he fought to a draw with boxing icon Roy Jones Jr in an exhibition match, which saw Tyson in command for most of the fight. Paul featured on the same card, delivering a knockout blow to ex-NBA ace Nate Robinson in the second round.
The upcoming face-off between Tyson and Paul will be an official contest consisting of eight two-minute rounds, with both fighters donning padded 14oz gloves. This clash will affect their professional records, marking Tyson's return to pro fighting since his retirement mid-fight against Kevin McBride nearly two decades ago.
