Mike Tyson is open to extending his boxing comeback despite his one-sided defeat to Jake Paul – and has even picked out an opponent.
Tyson, 58, as expected looked a shell of his former self as he suffered a large points defeat to YouTuber-turned-boxer Paul, 27. The Netflix-streamed event was branded a huge letdown, with many fans calling it a farce.
Boos rung out from the 70,000-strong crowd, many of whom had already headed for the exits at AT&T Stadium, at the end of the fight before Paul was awarded a victory on all three scorecards – 80-72, 79-73 and 79-73. It was Tyson’s first fight in 19 years – aside from an exhibition bout against Roy Jones Jr in 2020 – and many will be hoping the former heavyweight champion of the world finally hangs up his gloves for good.
However, asked if it was the last time he would be seen in a ring, Tyson said: “I don’t know. It depends on the situation. I don’t think so.”
When asked who a future opponent could be, Tyson pointed to Paul’s brother Logan, who is a WWE star. Logan, 29, who has also boxed, immediately responded: “Motherf*****, I’d kill you Mike!”
Speaking later, Logan added: “I think he wants money, I don’t think he wants to fight me.” He did praise Tyson’s performance against his younger brother, saying: “I f****** love Uncle Mike, he’s just so…
“I mean, that was impressive, no? For a 58-year-old? He’s tough, proud of him, weathered the storm against a young brute named Jake Paul. I think Jake let him live.”
The former ‘Baddest Man on the Planet’ insisted he was “absolutely happy” with his performance, saying: “I knew [Paul] was a good fighter.
“I didn’t prove nothing to anyone, just myself. I’m not one of these guys who goes out to please the world, I’m just happy with what I can do.”
Meanwhile, Paul paid a glowing tribute to his legendary opponent. He said: “Mike Tyson, this is such an honour. He’s the greatest to ever do it. He is an icon. It was an honour to fight him. He was exactly what I thought he would be.”