Concerns over Mike Tyson‘s health have been raised ahead of his comeback fight against YouTuber turned boxer Jake Paul in July.
Given his age and the long gap he has had since taking part in professional boxing, medical professionals have warned the 57-year-old about the potential health risks he may face from participating in the fight.
An ulcer flare-up caused the boxing legend to feel nauseous and dizzy while he was onboard an American Airlines flight from Miami to LA on Sunday, May 26 – forcing flight staff to ask passengers if there was a doctor on board to provide assistance.
This isn’t the first time the fighting veteran has been spotted in poor health but it has sparked fears with just six weeks until he faces Paul on July 20.
Speaking ahead of the fight the 57-year-old admitted that, while his training is going well, his body isn’t what it used to be.
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‘Iron Mike’ is expected to return to the ring on July 20 to fight YouTuber turned boxer Jake Paul
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It was later revealed the medical emergency was an ulcer flare-up which caused the boxing legend to feel nauseous and dizzy while he was onboard an American Airlines
Mike Tsyon seen working out days before health scare
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Former heavyweight champion Mike Tyson has sparked health concerns after he fell ill onboard an American airlines flight from Miami to LA
‘I’m beautiful… I’m doing great but my body is —- right now. I’m sore,’ Tyson said in Harlem, New York on May 13.
Here Mail Sport takes a look at Tyson’s medical history with just seven weeks until he meets Paul in Texas.
Mike Tyson’s health issues
Years spent in the ring combined with drug problems and a never say-die attitude during his career has seen Tyson’s health deteriorate over the years.
The American himself admitted on his own Hotboxin’ podcast that he believes he does not have that long left to live.
‘We’re all gonna die one day of course. Then, when I look in the mirror, I see those little spots on my face,’ he said.
‘I say, Wow. That means my expiration date is coming close, really soon.’
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Tyson fell ill whilst on the flight, forcing flight staff to ask passengers if there was a doctor on board to provide assistance (plane pictured is not related to the incident)
Back problems
Tyson admitted in September 2022 that he suffered with sciatica.
Sciatica is a medical condition where the nerve which runs from your lower back to your feet is irritated or compressed.
Tyson felt obliged to share his medical condition when a photo was shared on social media which saw him wheelchair bound in August 2022.
Speaking at the time, Tyson said: ‘I have sciatica every now and then, it flares up. When it flares up, I can’t even talk! Thank God it’s the only health problem I have. I’m splendid now.’
That was not the first time ‘Iron Mike’ has suffered from health problems related to his back.
Back pain was actually what initially forced him to walk away from boxing in 2005 after enjoying a 20-year-long career.
In 2002, after losing to Lennox Lewis, Tyson shouted out ‘I broke my back, my back is broken, Spinal!’.
He clarified what he meant at that moment back in 2020, telling Compubox TV: ‘Well listen right, I have a bad back and since all of the work that I’ve put over the years, the spine in my back just starts shifting.’
His wife, Lakiha Spicer, later revealed that he had two vertebrae removed from his body and titanium rods inserted to battle the problem.
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Concern over the 57-year-old’s health was first brought up in 2022 when the former champion was spotted wheelchair bound and carrying a walking stick
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The worrying images prompted the boxing legend to reveal he suffered with sciatica
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Tyson was forced to end his 20 plus boxing career due to back pain – in his 2002 fight with Lennox Lewis he shouted ‘I broke my back, my back is broken’
Depression and personality disorder
In 1998, the Dynamite Kid was diagnosed with borderline personality disorder and it was also revealed that the boxing legend has suffered with depression.
His 1998 diagnosis read as the following: ‘His personal history is marked by significant psychological and physical trauma, as well as a belief that he has been betrayed by individuals close to him.
‘This has caused Mr. Tyson to have significant problems with trust, as he fears being betrayed. In addition, he struggles with low self-esteem.’
Tyson’s first wife Robin Givens also stated that the boxer was a ‘manic depressive’ during a 1988 interview with Barbara Walters.
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Mike Tyson’s first wife Robin Givens revealed in a 1988 interview that he was a ‘manic depressive’
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In 1998, the Dynamite Kid was diagnosed with borderline personality disorder
Drug addiction
Since retiring, ‘The Baddest Man on the Planet’ hasn’t been shy about talking about his past drug usage.
Tyson detailed that his drug use mainly centred around cocaine but he had experimented with other forms of drugs, including venom from a poisonous toad which he said left him legally dead for a moment.
‘In my trips I’ve seen that death is beautiful,’ Tyson told the New York Post. ‘Life and death both have to be beautiful, but death has a bad rep. The toad has taught me that I’m not going to be here forever. There’s an expiration date.
‘I did it as a dare,’ Tyson said of ingesting the psychedelic. ‘I was doing heavy drugs like cocaine, so why not? It’s another dimension. Before I did the toad, I was a wreck. The toughest opponent I ever faced was myself. I had low self-esteem. People with big egos often have low self-esteem. We use our ego to subsidize that. The toad strips the ego.’
Brain trauma concerns
Although Tyson has never revealed or stated that he has suffered from brain trauma, doctors are concerned that is time in the ring has left him with lasting damage.
Speaking to express.co.uk Nathan Howarth, development and operations director at Concussion Legacy Foundation UK, revealed that he is concerned for Tyson due to the repeated head trauma he suffered during his illustrious career.
According to Howarth, prolonged exposure to head impacts heightens the risk of conditions like chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE).
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Medical professionals have voiced their concern about the potential brain trauma Tyson may unknowingly suffer from due to years of blunt force trauma to the head
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Doctors are worried as prolonged exposure to head impacts heightens the risk of conditions like chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE)
‘We know your exposure to head impacts increases your risk of things like chronic traumatic encephalopathy. The first reported cases from boxing are from the 1930s, and we still see that in terms of boxing’s risk to CTE, and it’s no secret that there is an element of neurodegeneration,’ he said to express.co.uk.
‘There’s no definitive idea of what the risks would be but as someone who is 57, there’s clearly going to be a risk in terms of that age profile of potentially having more of an impact for someone who’s older.’
