Boxing legend Mike Tyson has opened up about his shocking defeat to Jake Paul, reflecting on the lessons he’s taken from the bout as he prepares for his highly anticipated exhibition showdown with Floyd Mayweather.
In a candid interview, the 58-year-old former heavyweight champion admitted that the loss to Paul in Las Vegas was a humbling experience—one that forced him to rethink his mindset and conditioning.
Tyson told PEOPLE magazine that until his opponent signed the card, he “couldn’t believe” that his impending bout with 48-year-old Mayweather was genuine.
“He signed it, so I believe it,” says Tyson.
He also added that he will address “things that happened during my first fight with Jake” and his “ideology about all that” in his upcoming one-man show, “Return of the Mike,” when the show begins in November.
“It’s going to be really interesting. I can’t believe, since the last time I did this, I’ve fought… What? Two times, going on three times…I’ll do better in the next one,” he promises.
According to Tyson, his main lesson from the November bout with Paul was that he didn’t have the proper mental focus. He plans to “just enjoy the moment” in his next fight.
“This moment’s going to be over,” he says, advising, “Just enjoy it; it doesn’t last forever.”
The upcoming Tyson–Mayweather clash, billed as a battle between two boxing icons from different eras, has already generated massive global interest, with promoters calling it “the ultimate legacy exhibition.”
