Boxing legend and pop culture icon Mike Tyson and YouTuber-turned-boxer Jake Paul held another press conference on Sunday, this time at the Javits Center in Hell’s Kitchen as part of Fanatics Fest NYC.
The bout, which was postponed from July 20 to November 15 after concerns about Tyson’s health emerged in May, was a highly anticipated and much-anticipated showdown between the two fighters.
The large age difference – Tyson is 58 and Paul is 27 – and the fact that Tyson has not competed professionally since losing to Kevin McBride in 2005 have led to skepticism that the bout, scheduled to take place at AT&T Stadium in Dallas, will actually go ahead.
Tyson’s health complications — an ulcer aggravated on a flight from Miami to Los Angeles — only heightened those doubts.
When asked flat out whether the fight would happen, Tyson answered in the affirmative, but his answer wasn’t necessarily forceful or convincing.
“It’s happening,” Tyson said with a laugh. “We’re all here.”
Tyson’s flippant demeanor fit perfectly with the circus-like atmosphere that surrounded him on Sunday.
The bout is an officially sanctioned heavyweight bout that will call into question the professional track record of both fighters, but since it was announced, the promotion has come across as merely a promotional ploy.
Still, watching Tyson return to the ring with Paul’s social media fame and notoriety will be a rare and intriguing experience.
The bout will be streamed live on Netflix at no additional pay-per-view charge to subscribers and is expected to draw a huge audience.
Thousands of raucous fans packed into the Javits Center theater, shouting praise for Tyson while jeering Paul at every opportunity.
“I had to take a break because of menopause and postpone the fight,” Paul said, taunting Tyson, to which the crowd responded wildly: “You know what, dude? I was ready to go, but you needed a break. Are you still sick to your stomach?”
Tyson (50-6, 44 KOs) barely offered more than a one-word response throughout the afternoon, saying simply that he was “much better now.”
When host Ryan Clark suggested that Tyson was nervous about fighting Paul and not actually feeling unwell, Tyson laughed and sarcastically said, “I was scared.”
In the end, Tyson responded to Paul’s insults with a simple “I’m going to destroy you” and suggested the fight would be “very painful” for Paul. Fans believed every word he said, even if it was a few words.
Paul was more talkative.
Paul, who has a 10-1 record with seven knockouts against former mixed martial artists and influential fighters, called Tyson an “old son of a bitch,” said he would “discipline you like a son” and told Tyson he would “finish it in boxing.”
Paul’s rude, antagonistic, villainous persona has earned him a lot of support and fame.
This helped him land big-money fights soon after entering the boxing world and generated interest in a boxing career, much of it from people who wanted to see him lose.
It was a subject he constantly touched upon, and he entertained ongoing doubts about his seriousness as a professional fighter.
Paul had to constantly yell to drown out the booing crowd, who alternated between chants of “Fuck Jake Paul” and “YouTuber” every time he spoke. Paul took advantage, lashing out at both the crowd and New York.
“New York, shut up,” Paul said. “Boo yourselves. New York, boo yourselves. New York, you’re just like Mike Tyson. This was good 20 years ago. New York, fuck you. Stupid Democrat city.”
But if they do indeed meet in the ring on Nov. 15, the man Paul will have to defeat will be one of the most feared men of the past generation, not a bunch of heckling fans.
During the match, Tyson lightly shoved Paul, but it was a joke and innocence that made Tyson laugh out loud.
But when Tyson’s fists start flying in earnest, usually nothing interesting happens.
Does that version of “Iron Mike” still exist?
“I have a YouTuber fighting the greatest fighter of all time,” Tyson said. “I’m ready.”
