Mike Tyson: ‘It’s Hard to Walk Right Now’ amid Training for Jake Paul Boxing Fight

Julia StumbaughSeptember 14, 2024

TIMOTHY A. CLARY/AFP via Getty Images

Former world heavyweight champion Mike Tyson says he is “a little shaky” ahead of his Nov. 15 fight against Jake Paul.

“It’s hard to walk right now,” said Tyson, per USA Today’s Josh Peter. “But two months from now I’m going to be perfect.”

Tyson added that he is training between three and four times per day for the fight, per Peter.

He and Paul were originally scheduled to fight on July 20 before the bout was delayed after a spokesperson for Tyson said he suffered “an ulcer flare-up” during a cross-country flight.

According to a statement from Paul’s promotional company, Tyson was initially advised by medical professionals “to do minimal to light training over the next few weeks and then return to full training with no limitations” following the May 26 incident.

Tyson has also previously battled flare-ups of sciatica, a condition he spoke about in 2022 by telling reporters the pain in a nerve in the lower back could impact his ability to talk.

The former heavyweight champion provided insight into his current condition on Friday while commentating on the MMA event Cage Wars 67 in New York.

Tyson said during the event that he has recently sparred as many as six rounds in preparation for the event, which will take place in eight two-minute rounds.

The 58-year-old added that he has tried recovery methods including “electric stimulation and stem cells,” per Peter.

Tyson, who made his professional boxing debut in 1985, has a career record of 56-6 with 44 KOs. He last fought in an exhibition match in 2020 and most recently entered a professional bout in 2005.

Paul, 27, has parlayed his YouTube and social media fame into a boxing career. He has a 10-1 career professional record with seven KOs.

Paul’s only loss came via a split-decision defeat by Tommy Fury in February 2023. Most recently he scored a sixth-round TKO victory over former UFC fighter Mike Perry in July.

When Paul and Tyson face one another in November at the Dallas Cowboys’ AT&T Stadium, the fight will be classified as a sanctioned, professional fight reflected by their professional records, per ESPN’s Andreas Hale.