Mike Tyson’s trainer, Rafael Cordeiro, has downplayed worries over the fighter’s health ahead of his fight with Jake Paul.
Their fight takes place on July 20 at the AT&T Stadium in Dallas, Texas. Tyson will enter the fight as a 58-year-old, whose last bout in any form was against Roy Jones Jr. It was an exhibition that ended in a draw. Meanwhile, Paul will come into the contest at 27. He is in the best form of life, stopping Andre August and Ryan Bourland in his last two fights.
They were wins over professional boxers, showing that Paul was moving on from fighting MMA fighters and influencers. But there are concerns that the fight won’t get sanctioned. Tyson has been seen moving with a walking stick in the past. He is also known for smoking marijuana. According to The Texas Athletic Commission, any use of marijuana that goes beyond 50 ng/ml of THC is not allowed. That is something that Tyson will have to comply with.
“Not to be Mr. Buzzkill or anything, but it seems strangely overlooked that Mike Tyson was knocked out back-to-back in the last two of his pro career. Knocked out by average at best fighters, and that was about twenty years ago,” Rich Marotta, Nevada Hall of Fame founder said
But rather than worry about the potential pitfalls, Tyson’s trainer played down any fears.
Tyson’s Coach
“I believe we don’t have to be concerned about it. We’re talking about a two-time world champion. The guy didn’t have 20 fights in two years, he knows how to fight. He’s fought against the best guys in the world. When he steps inside the ring he knows what to do. It’s not something new for Mike, and this fight is no different.
“He works hard every single day to go in there and try to knock Jake out from the beginning to the end. This is his style, nobody has teach Mike Tyson how to fight. He’s going to prove that in July. You can see fire in his eyes when he trains, and he will never give less than that. I truly believe it is going to be a great show. Mike is going to step into the ring as the old Mike Tyson, and he’s going to try and knock out Jake from the beginning to the end,” Rafael Cordeiro stated
Nevertheless, father time catches up with everyone. Tyson is not the same fighter that he used to be. Evander Holyfield also showed this when he faced Vitor Belfort in 2021. Holyfield was stopped in the first round after a series of clubbing shots. His reaction times had slowed down a lot from the fighter who walked away from the sport in 2011. Since money is not an issue for Tyson, there is no pressing need for him to get in the ring. However, with the fight likely to happen, Tyson will have to silence his critics.
