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A little over five months ago, Mike Tyson was forced to postpone his much-publicized boxing match against Jake Paul due to a medical emergency.
The 57-year-old Tyson was initially scheduled to fight Jake Paul on July 20th in Dallas, but the fight had to be delayed after Iron Mike needed emergency medical attention while flying from Miami to Los Angeles.
The fight was initially postponed indefinitely with many speculating that it may never happen.
“I want to thank my fans around the world for their support and understanding during this time. Unfortunately, due to my ulcer flareup, I have been advised by my doctor to lighten my training for a few weeks to rest and recover,” Mike Tyson said following the fight postponement.
“My body is in better overall shape than it has been since the 1990s and I will be back to my full training schedule soon. Jake Paul, this may have bought you some time, but in the end you will still be knocked out and out of boxing for good.”
In June, Netflix announced a new date for the Mike Tyson-Jake Paul fight, November 15, 2024.
Now, Mike Tyson is opening up about just how serious his medical scare was back in May.
“I started feeling tired. I was explaining to my trainer, I don’t know what is wrong with me,” Tyson explained in the first episode of the three-part documentary series, Paul vs. Tyson on Netflix. “Then coming here from Miami on the plane, I went to the bathroom and I threw up blood. The next thing I knew I was on the floor. I was defecating tar.
“I went to the hospital and they found I had an ulcer. It was two and a half inches, it was bleeding. All my friends were calling me like I was dying.
“I asked the doctor whether I was going to die and she didn’t say no. She said we have options though. That’s when I got nervous.”
That is when Mike Tyson uttered the words that caught the boxing world’s attention when he said them in the trailer for the docuseries.
“I don’t want to die in the hospital bedroom, I want to die in the ring. You wouldn’t believe what I endured from my ulcer.”
Now healthy, Mike Tyson appears more than ready to face off against Jake Paul.
Mike Tyson’s training camp saying I’m a dead man…https://t.co/h8MvihE75B
— Jake Paul (@jakepaul) November 6, 2024
Mike Tyson vs. Jake Paul is scheduled to take place November 15 at AT&T Stadium in Texas.
The card that night will also feature Katie Taylor vs. Amanda Serrano, a rematch of the first women’s boxing match to headline Madison Square Garden, for the undisputed and lineal world super lightweight championship.