The 58-year-old “Iron Mike” boxed with 28-year-old Jake Paul because he was afraid of the possibility of a lawsuit against him. The legendary Mike Tyson spoke about this in an interview with Fox Nation, reports UNN.
You know, I was worried about being sued because I thought: “Oh my God, they're going to sue me if I don't do this fight
However, it was not reported who exactly was supposed to oppose Tyson before the themis. We can only assume that it was probably the Cypriot company Medier, which sued Tyson last December, demanding one and a half million dollars for breach of contract. According to Reuters, the company's representatives said that “Iron Mike” terminated the agreement with them in order to box with Jake Paul. According to the lawsuit, Medier represented the interests of Rabona Casino, and Tyson canceled the deal in March when his fight with the YouTuber was announced. Medier's lawyers emphasize that the real reason for the deal's termination was Tyson's desire to sign a more favorable deal with Netflix, which was the broadcaster of the fight.
The fight took place on November 15 in Arlington, Texas. The boxing match lasted 8 rounds. “Iron Mike” lost on points. Tyson received $20 million for this boxing event.
It is also interesting that even a stomach ulcer did not stop the legendary boxer. Tyson almost died in the summer of 2024. During a flight from Miami to Los Angeles, the boxer felt sick. He felt dizzy and nauseous. Tyson was hospitalized in the City of Angels. He received as many as 10 blood transfusions.