MIKE TYSON had his family worried about the Jake Paul fight but left them proud of his performance.
The 58-year-old grandfather and boxing legend faced the 27-year-old YouTuber in a criminally sanctioned fight in Texas on November 15 – just five months after suffering a burst ulcer.
After the fight, he revealed he had needed eight blood transfusions and almost died.
But still Paul could not put a single dent in him and the bout went the full and dull eight rounds.
Speaking to SunSport at the IBA Champions Night launch, Iron Mike’s son Amir told us: “I was very proud but yes of course I was worried.
“I knew he wasn’t going to get knocked down or out, because he can take those punches.
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“But, at the same, Jake is younger, faster and bigger – when you get older your cardio diminishes.
“But he did it better than any 58-year-old, he went the distance and I am proud as hell of what he did. It was like a Rocky XI moment.
“Most athletes finish and retire into the sunset, but for him to remain this relevant, for so many generations, it shows you everything.
“I am very proud.”
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After the bout – with most boxing fans hoping Tyson and Paul would both instantly retire – Iron Mike offered to face brother and fellow celebrity fighter Logan Paul.
And caring Amir revealed even if he begged his beloved father to hang up the gloves.
But the former heavyweight champ is too stubborn to ever listen.
Amir laughed: “That chat would be a waste of time! He is his own man.
“If I say too much he’d only tell me to shut up and remind me I’m not his dad.
“I can say my part but he is the grown-up and he will do whatever he wants.
“I’ll chip in and say ‘that was a great LAST fight, leave it at that’.
“But if he wants to do it then nobody is going to stop him, because he loves it.”
Amir, 27, is a US sports broadcaster and worked on the Netflix show.
Moments before the fight, he entered his dad’s dressing room for a final chat and – in a genuinely touching moment – he told his dad that he loved him.
But the dedicated cameraman focused on Tyson walking away, accidentally revealing his bare bottom in a clip that went viral.
He explained: “Everyone has been asking me if it was intentional or scripted but of course it wasn’t.
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“We went into the room to interview, I told him I loved him and then the cameraman followed his walk off.
“That s*** was crazy!”
Source: Boxing - thesun.co.uk
