Copyright New York Daily News
Mike Tyson wants another go at bringing the pain to Jake Paul. The former heavyweight boxing champ says he’s interested in getting back in the ring with the famous YouTuber after they went round for round last November in a highly anticipated Netflix fight that didn’t live up to the hype. With a 31-year age difference between them, 28-year-old Paul defeated Tyson via unanimous decision after eight rounds. Tyson didn’t land much of anything during the fight, and the overall lack of action led many to label it one of the worst boxing matches in recent memory. On Friday, Tyson admitted he wasn’t at his best and blamed his poor health at the time for his lackluster performance. “I was really ill,” he told Hard Rock BET. “I didn’t want to use that for an excuse, but I had some real bad health problems, but I’m fine now. I have no excuses. I feel good right now. This is the best I’ve felt. I can’t wait to start getting in the ring.” Tyson went on to say that he trained “too hard” leading up to the match and “left most of [his] fight in the gym.” “I worked too hard. I was too intense; I was too extreme. I need to relax more,” he explained, saying he learned a lot from the fight and knows how to train going forward. “Maybe we can have a rematch,” he said. “Yes … I would be interested in that.” But before Tyson faces off again against Paul, he’ll first need to lace up his gloves for his upcoming showdown with Floyd Mayweather, Jr. While an exact date for that bout has not been confirmed, the duo announced in September that they’d agreed to fight each other in an exhibition boxing match sometime in the spring. When asked about the fight, Tyson said he had “no idea” how it came about, but promised it will take boxing “to a new level.” “It’s going to supersede all the fights and all the glory he had before this,” he said of 48-year-old Mayweather, who’s widely considered — much like himself — to be one of the greatest boxers of all time.
