A close friend and former trainer of Mike Tyson has opened up about the time he feared the Baddest Man on the Planet was dead after discovering him unconscious in Las Vegas.
The 57-year-old was set to return to professional boxing for the first time in almost 20 years on July 20.
But his fight against YouTuber-turned-boxer Jake Paul was postponed after the former heavyweight champion suffered a medical scare.
Tyson suffered a “stomach ulcer flare-up” during a flight with the 57-year-old feels nauseous and dizzy. Airline staff were forced to ask passengers if there was a doctor on board and Tyson was later treated by paramedics.
But he says the former heavyweight king has been through much worse Jeff Fenech, who has known Tyson since the 1980s and even trained him.
Mike Tyson was scheduled to return to professional boxing on July 20 to take on Jake Paul in Texas
Jeff Fenech has known Tyson since the 1980s and even trained the former heavyweight king
He recalled visiting Tyson’s Vegas home in the mid-2000s and fearing the worst. The heavyweight struggled with drugs and alcohol after his turbulent career.
“I was in a room with him when I thought he was dead, I thought I would never see him again,” Fenech said the mirror.
‘I saw him in the worst possible way. My wife and I flew to Vegas one day and went to the house. He was slumped in the lounge.
‘I tried to wake him up. I then walked out and I actually cried. I thought I wouldn’t see him again.’
Fenech is a former three-weight world champion who reportedly still maintains contact with Tyson.
‘I sat in a room with him when I thought he was dead, I thought I would never see him again’
He was hoping to be ringside for the Paul fight, now scheduled for later in 2024 – despite “genuine concerns” about whether the fight will ever happen.
“I know Mike Tyson better than anyone. “If he is your friend, he is your friend forever,” he said.
‘He helps so many people. Many people don’t realize that. I traveled around the world with him. I have seen him take money out of his pocket and give it to beggars.’
“The biggest thing I’ve learned is that if you have good people around you, good things will happen. Mike’s wife (Lakiha Spicer) is an amazing lady and has played such a big role.”