The Mike Tyson–Jake Paul is just around the corner. The cards are neatly decked. In addition to the main fight, the MVP-Netflix show offers a string of exciting bouts. But for all those who plan to visit the Cowboys Stadium on Saturday, November 15, or those who have settled for a live stream, it’s all about ‘Iron’ Mike and ‘The Problem Child.’.

The match has become the talking point across the forums and platforms. And why shouldn’t it be so? When does one get to watch a professional boxing fight between a former heavyweight champion—a living legend—and a young crossover fighter? But it’s finally going to happen. The photographs of Paul and Tyson and their training footage are keeping the discussion alive and buzzing. Much of the curiosity hovers over the fight’s outcome. Will the Ohioan walk away with yet another victory, or will Tyson prove that age is just a number? During his latest interview with Stephen A. Smith, Tyson shed some light on his training camp and what he had in store for Jake Paul.

It’s the Mike Tyson of the old

As the show drew to a close, Stephen A. Smith wanted to know what Mike Tyson felt about his opponent. The poser flung the former heavyweight champion four years back. On November 28, 2020, Tyson stepped into the ring to face Roy Jones Jr. The ‘Lockdown Knockdown’ card at the Staples Center featured Jake Paul fighting Nate Robinson for a six-round bout. On July 20, the date when the Tyson-Paul fight was earlier scheduled, ‘The Problem Child’ fought his eleventh bout against Mike Perry.

So Mike Tyson explained that Jake Paul has come a long way as a fighter. Digging deeper, the NBA analyst asked how pressurized Tyson felt to win the fight despite being on the wrong side of the age, not to forget his ring inactivity.

“I feel in great condition,” replied Mike Tyson. He explained that he had been training four days a week. His regime included 8-round sparring sessions. So, in a strict sense, he never felt like an old man going up against a much younger guy. “I think I’m going to be able to handle the situation,” Tyson added. However, that only roused Smith’s curiosity. He wanted to know whether Tyson would succeed in knocking out Jake Paul. “I think I’m going to hurt him, yes,” came the reply from the boxing great.

But Stephen A. Smith wasn’t ready to let go of Mike Tyson so easily. With some two to three minutes left, he checked for Tyson’s training routine. He wanted to know how different his approach had been for the Paul fight when compared to what he used to do in his prime.

Mike Tyson has a straightforward answer. “Hey, it’s sparring. Get a sparring partner, spar, train, get in shape, get strength and conditioning. Yes, do the basics. You know, give it the best you got. Give it everything you have three times a day.”

‘Iron’ Mike going all out

Just a few days ago, while speaking with Mike Doocy from Fox 4 Dallas-Fort Worth, Mike Tyson shared thoughts. When the sports anchor checked how the fight against Jake Paul would take shape, the former heavyweight champion replied that it wouldn’t ‘last long’. Mike Tyson felt that ‘The Problem Child’ might resort to a stick-and-move tactic. However, he sounded quite apprehensive: “I don’t see how he’s going to fight by running all day.”

As far as the training goes, the youngest heavyweight champion has been pushing hard. So much so, as one of the recent training footage where Tyson knocked down a sparring partner revealed, his trainer Rafael Cordeiro had to intervene and bring the session to a halt.

What is your take? After the Jake Paul fight, should there be a Mike Tyson-Evander Holyfield super senior bout? Or a rematch with Lennox Lewis could be equally exciting?