Mike Tyson makes honest admission about purse for Jake Paul fight
Mike Tyson has declared that he isn't coming out of retirement for the money in his bout with Jake Paul.
The boxing icon is all set to step back into the ring after a four-year absence since sparring with Roy Jones Jr in an exhibition match in 2020. This will be Iron Mike's first comeback to professional fighting since retiring during a fight against Kevin McBride after five rounds in 2005.
He'll go glove to glove with YouTube sensation-turned-pro boxer Paul on November 15 at the AT&T Stadium, Texas, despite a significant age differenceTyson being 30 years Paul's senior at age 58. However, Tyson insists financial gain is not the reason for him lacing up his gloves once again.
The former world heavyweight champion now earns more from his cannabis business than from boxing.
Instead, Tyson craves the thrill and challenge that facing Paul offers. "I could be waiting on a check every day from cannabis," he remarked during his commentary at a recent Cage Wars MMA event, adding, "That's ******** 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. I want to see what I'm really made out of. I want to perform in front of the world. 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.", reports the Mirror.
Tyson, who most recently defeated MMA and bareknuckle boxing star Mike Perry, faces the challenge of overcoming Paul over eight two-minute rounds. The upcoming clash, streamed by Netflix for an $80 million (£60m) pot, was rescheduled from an earlier date due to Tyson suffering an ulcer flare-up on a flight.
The 28 year old, boasting a record of 10-1, admitted: "It's hard to walk right now," but reassured fans, "But two months from now I'm going to be perfect. The fight is won in the gym. Listen, I'll do anything that will help me. I'm going to enjoy my time here tonight with all my childhood friends, and the hell with Jake Paul."
Similarly, Paul dismissed claims that money was his primary motivation, stating: "Making history. This is what it's all about for me, man. I'm a kid from Ohio. [...] They'll never give me credit. That's the way it is. If I was walking on water, they would say it's because I couldn't swim. And this is to make history. The people think I'm going to get knocked out by this strong, powerful guy."