MIKE TYSON was once known as the “Baddest Man on The Planet”.
And 20 years on from his last pro bout, Iron Mike warned he is still “not a nice person”.
The heavyweight great says he needs to be a fraction of his best to defeat YouTuber-turned-boxer Jake Paul.
Their controversial clash in Texas on November 15 is worth £60million, £30m each.
And controversy has never been far away from Tyson who was jailed for three years for a rape conviction in 1992.
Before and after that, Tyson lost some of his most destructive years out of the ring through a party lifestyle of drink, drugs and women.
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In the years since retirement, Tyson has gone broke, regained his wealth through various businesses and become a pop culture icon.
Despite settling down in his third marriage with soulmate Lakiha Spicer and being a doting dad of seven, Tyson warned not to mistake his new life for weakness.
He admitted: “There’s nothing nice about me. I’m not a nice person.
“No, I’m a decent person, I try to do the right thing but a nice person I am not.
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“So anybody that has an auspice that I’m a nice person, they’re gonna be disappointed.
“I’m just not a nice person. I don’t make people happy for no reason. I’m just who I am. I’m not trying to gain friends.
“Basically what I’m saying, I don’t wanna make friends with you. I don’t care if you don’t put me on your boat or you let your yacht, I don’t give a f***.
“I’m not gonna ever be nice to nobody. I’ll be kind but never nice.”
Tyson has made millions through his cannabis empire, so money is not the motivation for this fight.
It will be almost 20 YEARS removed from his last pro bout – the night he quit on his stool against tree surgeon Kevin McBride.
Even then aged 38, it was clear to see Iron Mike’s days as the Baddest Man on The Planet were far behind him.
At 58, there are huge fears for Tyson’s safety stepping into the ring with an opponent 30 years his junior.
But Iron Mike insists if he can draw on just 10 per cent of his prime then it will be enough to beat 10-1 Paul – who turned pro only four year ago.
Tyson said: “When you think about it regardless of how old I am, this guy only has ten fights.
“He only has 10 fights, if I can fight a little bit with my experience, he only has 10 f***ing fights, okay?
“If I can fight 10 per cent of what I was, he only has ten fights, he couldn’t match that. And that’s being sincere. If I’m 10 per cent, he can’t match it.”
The slammed showdown faced further scrutiny when Tyson was forced to pull out of the initial July 20 date due to a health precaution.
He suffered an ulcer flare-up in his stomach during a flight – but has since been passed medically fit to resume training.
But he will also have to undergo extra heart and brain tests due to his age. Amid the safety concerns, Tyson hit back: “I’m just doing really well.
“I’m very grateful that I’m doing well. I’m just looking forward to the fight, really looking forward to it.”
Tyson and Paul are to share a huge $80m (£60m) purse down the middle as they become the first to headline a boxing event on streaming giants Netflix.
But Iron Mike – who blew through £250m during his heyday – promises his comeback is NOT money-motivated.
He said: “I have more responsibilities. My life is more, I don’t know, it’s more practical than it was before. I have kids. I have a wife, I have children. I have things to do.
“When I was a champion, I didn’t have things to do and nothing to do.
“Nothing of substance to do. Party drink, women, talk s*** and that was no substance back then.
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“The money from this fight is not going to change my lifestyle. This is not for financial reasons.
“My life is not gonna change, not one per cent after this fight, I will always be able to live this way and I’m just doing it because I wanna test myself.”
Source: Boxing - thesun.co.uk
