Mike Tyson's fight preparation took an unusual turn after he took part in a playful 'scrap' with a former heavyweight boxing champion while on the streets of New York City
Mike Tyson engaged in a spot of play-fighting ahead of his much-anticipated showdown with Jake Paul.
The Baddest Man on the Planet is set to step toe-to-toe with The Problem Child at the AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas on Friday (November 15) in what will be his first professional bout in 19 years. The clash is being streamed live on Netflix, who recently screened a preview show featuring behind-the-scenes footage of both men preparing for the fight.
In one clip, Tyson is seen tussling with former heavyweight champion Shannon Briggs while on the streets of Brooklyn, New York. The incident took place back in April while 'Iron Mike' was visiting his old neighbourhood.
After bumping into Briggs by chance, the pair removed their t-shirts and began light-heartedly sparring as locals around them went crazy. They traded a few harmless blows before laughing and embracing each other with hugs as big as the smiles on their faces.
Things will be a lot more serious on Friday, particularly since Tyson is stepping into the ring with a man 31 years his junior. YouTuber-turned-boxer Paul, 27, has 10 wins from 11 professional fights, with his only loss coming against Tommy Fury - brother of Tyson Fury - in 2023.
Tyson represents the first boxer with serious pedigree that Paul has faced, but one that hasn't been an in-ring regular for nearly two decades. In 2020, Tyson came out of retirement to fight Roy Jones Jr in an exhibition bout and has stayed in fighting shape ever since.
But his clash with Paul will be a much bigger test, with his young opponent looking to make a splash by toppling a man widely regarded as one of the greatest boxers of all time. Their bout was initially scheduled for July but was postponed after Tyson suffered an ulcer flare-up in training.
Afterwards, the New York native revealed that "too much bad food and stuff" had caused the issue. "Coming here from Miami on the plane, I went to the bathroom and I threw up blood," he said while discussing the ordeal in the countdown to the clash on Netflix.
"The next thing I know I'm on the floor, I was defecating tar. So I came here and they found I had a big ulcer, two-and-a-half inches, and it was bleeding. All my friends were calling me like I was dying."
Tyson also claimed he "lost 26 pounds" and, at one point, was afraid he might die. "She [the doctor] didn't say no [he wasn't going to die]. She said we have options though, and that's when I got nervous.
"You wouldn't believe what I endured from my ulcer. I lost 26 pounds, can you imagine that? I was so p----- off because I had peaked. I was good, talking s---, ready."
