- Mike Tyson has admitted he ‘blanked out’ during the Jake Paul fight in November
- The 58-year-old starred in Netflix’s first boxing event and lost via decision
- Tyson says he doesn’t remember anything from the first round of the fight
Mike Tyson has admitted he was ‘blind’ during the Jake Paul fight, telling reporters he could barely remember the fight.
The 58-year-old played Netflix’s first boxing event in November, taking on influencer boxer Paul, who is 30 years his junior, at AT&T Stadium.
Tyson – who suffered a unanimous decision loss in a lackluster eight-rounder – has said he has no memory of the fight after the first round.
Speak with Fox Sports RadioTyson said: ‘I don’t remember the fight very well, I fainted a bit. I didn’t rewatch the fight.
“You know what I remember… when I came back from the first round and Jake kind of bowed… that’s the last thing I remember.”
He added: “I wasn’t tired, I wasn’t sweaty. “I went to the house where we were staying, I left the house with my wife and kids, went to the after party and then went back.”
Mike Tyson has admitted he was ‘blind’ during the Jake Paul fight, telling reporters he could barely remember the fight
The 58-year-old starred in Netflix’s first boxing event, taking on influencer and boxer Paul, who is 30 years his junior, at AT&T Stadium in November.
Paul, 27, easily defeated Tyson, 58, on Netflix, with the former heavyweight champion throwing just 18 punches.
Later, the YouTuber turned boxer said he held back against Tyson because he “didn’t want to hurt someone who didn’t need to be hurt.”
Many were surprised that the fight was even sanctioned after it was initially postponed in June when Tyson suffered a flare-up of an ulcer during a cross-country flight.
Tyson revealed shortly after the fight that he almost died on that plane and ultimately had eight blood transfusions as he recovered from the incident.
“This is one of those situations where you lost but you still won,” he said on X. “I’m grateful for it [Friday] night and don’t regret stepping into the ring one last time.
‘I almost died in June; I’ve had eight blood transfusions. I lost half my blood and 25 pounds in the hospital and had to fight to get healthy to fight, so I won.
“For my kids to see me stand toe-to-toe and finish eight rounds with a talented fighter half my age, in front of a packed Dallas Cowboy Stadium, is an experience no one has the right to ask for.”
When asked to think about a fight at a pop-up event in Miami, Tyson also said, “Magical. It just happened so quickly. Eight laps passed quickly. I wasn’t tired. I didn’t sweat. I didn’t understand that.’
Jake Paul has a habit of sticking his tongue out both in and out of the ring
However, Tyson’s son Amir had a different opinion, saying: ‘His gas tank after the third round was just shot. That’s all it was. He just sat there the whole time. He did his best. No holding back, he did what he could at his age.”
In a separate interview, Amir admitted that he was proud of his father for stepping into the ring against a much younger competitor.
“I was very proud,” he said. ‘But yes, of course I was worried. “I knew he wasn’t going to get knocked down or knocked out because he can take those punches.
“But at the same time, Jake is younger, faster and bigger – as you get older your cardio decreases,” Amir added.
“But he did better than any 58-year-old, he went the distance and I am extremely proud of what he did. It was like a Rocky XI moment.
“Most athletes finish and retreat into the sunset, but when he remains so relevant, for so many generations, you see everything,” Amir continued. ‘I’m very proud.’
It is estimated that Tyson made around $20 million from the rescheduled fight, which was initially scheduled to take place in July but was postponed due to a flare-up of an ulcer in the iconic boxer.