Mike Tyson is said to have hung up his gloves for good after his defeat to Jake Paul following heart-to-heart talks with his wife.
‘Iron Mike’ stepped back into the professional boxing ring for the first time since 2005 last November, facing off against YouTuber-turned-boxer Jake Paul. Many boxing enthusiasts believed Tyson could cause a major upset, but during the bout in Texas, he failed to deliver any significant punches and ultimately lost by unanimous decision in what turned out to be a lacklustre fight.
Just minutes after his loss to Paul, Tyson expressed interest in another fight, even challenging Paul’s older brother Logan. When asked who he might face next, he gestured towards Logan and said: “I don’t know, maybe his brother.”
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However, the former heavyweight world champion later revealed on Twitter that he had faced near-fatal health challenges before the fight, stating: “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.”
He continued, detailing his ordeal: “Had eight blood transfusions. Lost half my blood and 25lbs in hospital and had to fight to get healthy to fight so I won.
(Image: AP)
“To have my children see me stand toe to toe and finish eight 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.”
Now, Tyson seems to have hung up his gloves for good, reports the Mirror. His son Amir has disclosed that Mike’s wife Lakiha ‘Kiki’ Spicer has declared him “done”.
Speaking to Seconds Out, Amir said: “I think he’s done. My stepmom, she’s saying he’s done and they’re a team. That’s husband-and-wife stuff.”
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In the same conversation, Amir tackled the allegations of the fight being fixed, stating: “Some people are on that bogus ‘Oh, it’s rigged’. We know it wasn’t rigged. He just got tired. Jake would move out the way. It looked like he pulled his punches back but Jake’s moving. It’s not like the pads, he’s moving.”
He continued, addressing the disbelief from some fans: “When someone doesn’t want to accept that someone lost, when it doesn’t go that way of course they’re gonna pull that. And that’s what they’re putting on the internet. His gas tank after the third round was just shot. That’s all it was. He just kept on staying throughout. He did his best. No holding back, he did the best he could at his age.”