Mike Tyson underwent eight blood transfusions in June, a month before his fight with Jake Paul on Netflix was originally scheduled and about five months before the fight actually took place on Saturday night. He revealed that he lost 25 pounds in the hospital and “almost died.”
“This is one of those situations where you lose and still win,” Tyson, 58, said. wrote on the first X Paul's first post since defeating the legendary boxer by unanimous decision. “Thank you for last night. I have no regrets about stepping into the ring one last time. I almost died in June. I had eight blood transfusions. I lost half my blood and 25 pounds in the hospital and fought. I won because I had to fight to get healthy.
“No one has the right to have my children watch me stand toe-to-toe in front of a packed Dallas Cowboy Stadium and go through eight rounds with a talented fighter half my age. It's an experience.”
Saturday was Tyson's first sanctioned fight since 2005, and Tyson ended his post with a “thank you” and a prayer hands emoji. Tyson entered the fight with an overall record of 50 wins and 6 losses.
However, with a health scare looming over the fight, Tyson appeared to be a step or two behind Paul for much of the fight, especially from the third round onwards, but the 27-year-old YouTuber held on from one to the next. and threw a punch, and Tyson only fought back. Some of that clip.
Tyson suffered a medical emergency in May when his ulcer recurred on a flight from Miami to Los Angeles, and the fight was ultimately postponed less than a week later.
“I want to thank my fans around the world for their support and understanding during this time,” Tyson said in a statement at the time of the postponement. “Unfortunately, the ulcer returned and my doctor advised me to reduce my training for a few weeks to give myself some rest and recovery. My overall condition is better than it has been since the 1990s and I will soon be fully recovered. I plan on getting back to my training schedule.
“Jake Paul, this may have bought me some time, but in the end I'm going to get knocked out and retire from boxing for good. Thank you for your patience and I look forward to delivering you an unforgettable performance later this year. I can’t wait to do it.”
Check out the Post's coverage of the Paul vs. Tyson fight
But that vintage night never materialized.
Netflix's spectacle turned into a disappointment as the three judges each awarded the bout to Paul, and 60 million viewers tuned in to deal with buffering issues, followed by the version Tyson competed in during the prime of his career. It became the ultimate battle, resembling an empty shell.
Some fans claimed that Paul was “carrying” Tyson throughout the match and didn't seem to have any intention of knocking Tyson out, but Paul seemed to admit that in his post-fight press conference.
“We wanted to give the fans a show,” Paul said. According to NBC News“But I didn't want to hurt anyone who didn't need to be hurt.”
In response to Tyson's post about X, Paul said, I wrote“We love you Mike. It was an honor. You are an inspiration to all of us.”
