November 14th 2024.
The anticipation was palpable as boxing legends Mike Tyson and Jake Paul came face to face before their highly-anticipated fight in Texas. Some wondered if it was a strategic move by Tyson to play mind games with his opponent, or a sign that he's not fully committed to the fight. Regardless, the press conference on Wednesday night was definitely a low-key affair for the former heavyweight champion, who is known for his larger-than-life personality, both inside and outside the ring.
With only 27 words in response to four questions from Ariel Helwani, the official host of the event, Tyson seemed unusually subdued. Helwani tried to gauge if Tyson was back to his prime, ahead of his controversial fight with influencer Jake Paul, which will be live-streamed on Netflix. Tyson's response was simple, "I'm back, yeah. I'm just happy to be here."
The second question came from Paul himself, who confidently declared that he will knock out Tyson and asked if the boxing legend really intends to kill him. In response, Tyson simply said, "I'm just ready." It was clear that Tyson was not in the mood for trash-talking or provocation.
Helwani then brought up a recent quote from Tyson where he referred to Paul as a "manufactured killer," unlike himself who is a natural-born killer. When asked to elaborate, Tyson simply repeated his statement. The last question was about Cus D'Amato, the man who helped Tyson become the youngest heavyweight champion in history. Tyson replied that D'Amato would be proud of the fight and that he would be happy with however Tyson chooses to defeat Paul.
It's not unusual for fighters to be reserved and focused as they approach a big fight. The media attention can be overwhelming, as Helwani pointed out while trying to interview Ireland's Katie Taylor, who is known for her soft-spoken and classy demeanor both inside and outside the ring. However, for someone like Tyson, who has a history of controversial and foul-mouthed outbursts, his lack of words was quite surprising.
As fans and media alike tried to make sense of Tyson's demeanor, Taylor's opponent Amanda Serrano jokingly asked Helwani how he was handling the situation. It was evident that the atmosphere was a bit awkward, especially for someone like Tyson, who is used to being the center of attention.
The fact that Paul and Tyson seem to be on good terms may have played a role in Tyson's subdued behavior. While he definitely wants to win the fight, Tyson doesn't seem to harbor any hatred towards Paul. In fact, he may even be trying to get under Paul's skin by not engaging in any trash-talking. Paul, on the other hand, was not happy with Tyson's lack of enthusiasm and called it "f***ing boring."
In an attempt to liven up the press conference, Paul went around challenging every fighter on the undercard who had predicted a Tyson win, to put their money where their mouth is. His bold move even caught the attention of the NABF and WBO inter-continental featherweight champion Bruce Carrington, who seemed a bit intimidated by Paul's confidence. However, Paul didn't back down and even told Carrington that he makes more money in the time it takes him to use the restroom than Carrington will in his entire life.
It's possible that at 58 years old, Tyson no longer has the energy or motivation to engage in trash-talking, especially with an opponent who is much younger and wasn't even born when Tyson first became a world champion. Some may see this as a good sign for Tyson, a sign that he is focused and fully committed to the fight. Only time will tell. The fight between Jake Paul and Mike Tyson will be exclusively streamed on Netflix on Friday, November 15th.
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