Tyson’s health is “just fine” but precautions are in place

Mike Tyson said he was “doing just fine” and played down his health concerns, but took extra precautions ahead of Friday’s controversial fight with Jake Paul and urged everyone around him to wear face masks.

The 58-year-old former heavyweight world champion hasn’t competed in a professional fight since 2005, while 27-year-old YouTuber and former boxer Paul has won 10 of his 11 professional fights.

The contest at AT&T Stadium in Dallas – which will be broadcast live on streaming giant Netflix – has drawn criticism in the boxing community because of the age difference between the two and was postponed when Tyson suffered a stomach ulcer in July.

Speaking to BBC Sport at media training sessions on Tuesday, Tyson said he had been put through his paces during the training camp, which “wasn’t fun but it was worth it”.

He added: “Nobody makes it easy for me. They want to see if I quit or not and I’m still here. All training is over now. The fight is the party, the training is preparation, but the fight is the party.”

The Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation, which approved the bout as a professional bout, told BBC Sport that it “takes the health and safety of all participants seriously” and all fighters on Thursday’s card will be medically examined.

Most Valuable Promotions’ Nakisa Bidarian said this was standard for boxing events in the region and the fight would “100%” take place.

However, it is subject to certain conditions: the competition lasts eight rounds of two minutes each and 14-ounce rather than 10-ounce gloves must be worn to reduce the impact of the punches.

Face masks, distancing and heavy breathing

Shortly before the interview at the Toyota Music Factory in Irving, Texas, members of Tyson’s team politely asked the BBC Sport film crew to keep their distance from the two-time world champion and handed out face masks.

Tyson was worried that he might pick up any illnesses during fight week, they said.

There have been doubts about the legitimacy of this fight and whether Tyson – who is reportedly earning up to $20 million for his participation – will consider it a serious fight despite it being on his professional resume.

Tyson, once known as the “baddest man in the world,” is perhaps the most controversial figure in boxing history.

He is a former undisputed champion, but in 1992 Tyson was convicted of rape and served three years of a six-year prison sentence.

Tyson won 50 of his 56 competitions before retiring in 2005. At age 20, he became the youngest heavyweight boxing champion in history and, in 1987, became the first heavyweight boxer to simultaneously hold the WBA, WBC and IBF titles.

He was clearly breathing heavily throughout the interview and, as usual, gave short answers.

“I think he’s a great person, but as a fighter I think he’s inferior,” were his thoughts on Paul.

But after the interview, Tyson completed his open workout in front of fans without any problems, moving and hitting with ease.

When asked what he thought about Paul comparing himself to legend Muhammad Ali or saying he could beat Saul “Canelo” Alvarez, Tyson replied: “Everyone is entitled to their opinion.”

When Tyson was asked about his own preparations, he was committed.

“I’m in there with young people, 25 and 28 years old, heavyweights. They are not kind to me, my coaches are not kind to me,” he said.

“They let me know: ‘Do you really want to do this?’ They put me to the test and I think I passed the test because I did my last day of sparring and training, so I think I passed the test.”

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