Mike Tyson, the legendary boxer, took to X after his November 15 fight with Logan Paul to open up about a serious health scare he faced prior to the bout. Tyson revealed that he nearly died in June and had to start his training from scratch in preparation for the fight. He also hinted that his return to the ring might be his last.
Originally, Tyson was scheduled to face Jake Paul on July 20, 2024, but the fight was postponed after Tyson suffered a flare-up of an ulcer. However, after his November 15 matchup with Paul, Tyson took to social media to share his harrowing experience. The 58-year-old boxer disclosed that he had nearly died in June, undergoing eight blood transfusions after losing half his blood and 25 pounds in the hospital. He had to fight his way back to health to be able to step into the ring again.
Tyson admitted that he had been in peak physical condition by May, but the health scare forced him to lose all his progress. He had to rebuild his fitness from the ground up and was proud of the recovery process. "This is one of those situations when you lost but still won. I’m grateful for last night. No regrets to get in ring one last time. I almost died in June. Had 8 blood transfusions. Lost half my blood and 25lbs in hospital and had to fight to get healthy to fight so I won. To have my children see me stand toe to toe and finish 8 rounds with a talented fighter half my age in front of a packed Dallas Cowboy stadium is an experience that no man has the right to ask for. Thank you," Tyson wrote on X after the match.
The bout was initially set for July 20, 2024, but had to be pushed to November after Tyson experienced the ulcer flare-up while on a flight in May. Tyson later spoke about his recovery process in Netflix's Countdown: Paul vs. Tyson docuseries, where he revealed the severity of his situation. “I asked the doctor, ‘Am I going to die?’ And she didn’t say no, she said, ‘We have options, though,’” Tyson recalled. “That’s when I got nervous.”
Before the fight, Tyson shared how the hospitalization had thrown him off track in terms of his physical conditioning. “It threw me off. All my coordination, stamina, everything was hectic getting back. I was peaked already. I could have fought him that day. Now I got to start from scratch,” Tyson explained in an interview with The New Yorker.
Tyson's return
On November 15, Tyson made his return to the ring after a 19-year hiatus, while Paul entered the fight with a 10-1 record. Tensions were high before the bout, as Tyson slapped Paul during the weigh-ins and confidently declared that he would not lose. On fight night, both fighters predicted victory, with Paul promising a knockout and Tyson aiming for "a vicious win."
The match started with Tyson coming out strong, landing some early strikes and pushing Paul onto the ropes. However, as the fight progressed, fatigue and age began to show, allowing Paul to find his rhythm and take control. In the second round, Paul kept his guard down, challenging Tyson to engage in a brawl.
Tyson dominated the first two rounds, but in Round 3, Paul quickly turned the tables, landing a triple jab that rocked Tyson and put him on the ropes. Paul took the round 10-9, and heading into Round 4, the score was 29-28 in Tyson's favor. Tyson’s fatigue became more apparent in Round 4 as he became less mobile, allowing Paul to dictate the pace. By the end of the round, Paul had tied the scores, and his body shots in the final moments of the fight sealed the win.
The fight, which took place on Friday, ended with a result that many had not anticipated.The judges ruled in Paul's favour by 80-72, 79-73 and 79-73
Tyson, despite his earlier dominance, was ultimately outpaced by Paul in the later rounds, leading to a tough finish for the boxing legend.
