Tyson Opens up About Near-Death Experience Before Showdown with YouTuber Boxer Jake Paul | Entertainment & Arts Update

Former heavyweight champion Mike Tyson reveals that his health scare in June, which led to the postponement of his boxing match with Jake Paul, nearly cost him his life.

“I almost died in June,” Tyson wrote on X, stating that he “had 8 blood transfusions, lost half my blood, and 25lbs in the hospital.”

The 58-year-old, who was defeated by the YouTuber-turned-boxer in a unanimous points decision in Texas, tweeted that the situation was more severe than people realized.

Following Tyson’s recovery from reportedly suffering an ulcer flareup, he reflected on the outcome of the fight.

“This is one of those situations where you lost but still won… no regrets to get in the ring one last time,” he said.

Contrary to his comments after the match, where he didn’t confirm if it would be his last fight, Tyson suggested a potential fight with Paul’s older brother, Logan Paul, who was present near him in the ring.

Critics criticized the modified match, with fewer and shortened rounds and heavier gloves, for being uninspiring.

Some critics described it as more of a glorified sparring session.

This fight marked Tyson’s first sanctioned pro bout since 2005, when he retired after losing to Kevin McBride, only making a brief return for an exhibition match in 2020 against Roy Jones Jr.

Paul’s Ambitions

Paul, aged 27, aims to prove himself as a championship fighter and compete for a championship belt within two years. “I think it could happen in the next 24 months,” Paul expressed.

“I truly, truly believe in my skills, ability, and power. And the cruiserweight division seems open for the taking within that timeline,” he added.

The only professional match he has lost so far was to Tommy Fury, the less-accomplished brother of former heavyweight champion Tyson Fury.

Questions remain about when Paul will face a contender in his prime rather than former champions or mixed martial artists.

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Could Paul challenge Alvarez?

In the days leading up to his fight with Tyson, Paul mentioned challenging super middleweight champion Canelo Alvarez, considered one of the top boxers globally.

Reports indicate that Paul earned $40m (£31.7m) from the Texas bout compared to Tyson’s $20m (£15.8m).

Netflix reported that 60 million households globally watched the match on its streaming platform, with nearly 50 million tuning in to watch the undercard where Ireland’s Katie Taylor defeated Puerto Rico’s Amanda Serrano.

However, there were some technical issues, with over 90,000 users experiencing problems on Netflix at its peak, as reported by Downdetector, which tracks outages.