Mike Tyson sends brutal 'slaughter' message to Jake Paul ahead of boxing fight
With both men in the final stages of their respective training camps, the two boxing stars have ramped up the trash talk ahead of the heavyweight clash next month
Former undisputed heavyweight champion Mike Tyson has promised to 'slaughter' Jake Paul ahead of their blockbuster showdown next month.
Back in his heyday, 'Iron Mike' was a devastating knockout artist and was known for his unrivalled trash-talking ability - which had a lot of opponents defeated before they set foot in the squared-circle. Speaking to World Boxing News ahead of the showdown next month, featherweight star Bruce Carrington claimed that Tyson's aura could affect Paul. “His aura alone can make you lose a fight before you step in a ring,” he said. “Yeah, so Tyson says, every fight, that he’s scared, or afraid — whatever.
"Don’t let that fool you because people who fight scared are sometimes the most dangerous fighters. They’re, like, hyper-attentive because their heart rate is so fast. They’re scared, but that makes them super focused. And those are sometimes the most dangerous fighters to fight”.
It seems as if the heavyweight great is attempting to get under Paul's skin ahead of the heavyweight contest. With a little over two weeks until the showdown, Tyson has vowed to 'slaughter' his upcoming opponent. In a recent interview with talkSPORT, the 58-year-old said: “He is going to be running around and I have to catch him and slaughter him". He then added: “[No, I don’t fear for him], because he is stepping into the ring. If my mother stepped into the ring, she has a problem with me. Whoever is in that ring – they have a problem with me. Don’t go into the ring if you don’t want that problem”.
In the same interview, he gave his upcoming opponent some praise ahead of their heavyweight dust-up. When the 58-year-old was asked for his thoughts on Paul, Tyson said: "Good little fighter". He did, however, add: "But he's only had ten fights. That's considered an amateur in our field".
Both Tyson and Paul were scheduled to fight on July 20, but the professionally sanctioned contest was postponed after 'Iron Mike' was deemed medically unfit following an ulcer flare up he suffered whilst onboard a flight in May. With the fight being rebooked, fans have been left fearing for his health. That said, the American recently provided a health update, insisting he is fit to make his return on November 15.
There are a few fans who believe the 58-year-old isn't taking the fight seriously. During a recent chat with Jimmy Kimmel, 'Iron Mike' claimed he was training six hours a day. "I am training extremely hard, I do six hours a day. I start at 11am and might leave the gym at 5pm," he said. Kimmel looked stunned and replied: "Oh no. 11am? So that's six hours straight, or is there a lunch break?" The former heavyweight champion admitted there was a small break as a shocked Kimmel gasped: "Oh no."