By Harry Davies
Mike Tyson has dismissed rumours that his fight against Jake Paul will take place with headgear and big gloves.
Boxing legend 'Iron Mike' is making a return to the ring on July 20 when he faces social media sensation Paul in one of the biggest and most controversial fights of the year. The fight will take place at the AT&T Stadium in Dallas and there could be up to 80,000 fans in attendance on the night.
Tyson has admitted the fight will be sanctioned as an exhibition, meaning it won't go on his or Paul's professional records. Many of the fight rules are still unclear but when put to Tyson that he would be wearing 16oz gloves and a headguard, he told Fox News: "No, not true, not true at all. This is called an exhibition, but if you look up exhibition, you won't see any of the laws we're fighting under. This is a fight.
"I don't think he's faster than me. I've seen a YouTube video of him at 16 doing weird dancing. That's not the guy I'm fighting. This is a guy who's going to try and hurt me, which I'm accustomed to, and he's going to be greatly mistaken. As the fight gets closer, the less nervous I become because it's reality, and in reality I'm invincible."
Tyson hasn't fought since going eight rounds against fellow legend Roy Jones Jr. in November 2020. The 57-year-old said he was extremely out of shape for that fight and he is already training for his bout with Paul despite it still being three months away. Tyson admitted he is scared ahead of his boxing return but thinks the nerves will benefit him.
"I have a weird personality - I don't think it's weird though. Whatever I'm afraid to do, I do it. That's how it is," Tyson added. "I was afraid of the Roy [Jones] fight. I was 100 pounds overweight, I was however old, 54, 53, and I said ‘Let’s do it.' Anything I'm afraid of, I confront it. That's my personality. Right now, I'm scared to death."
It's understood that no winner be will declared in Paul and Tyson's fight, meaning no judges will score the fight. Details of the undercard are also still unclear as the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulations [TDLR] said the only information they have received about the Paul vs Tyson event so far is the date.
