A concussion expert has warned Mike Tyson that he's at risk of a brain injury ahead of his fight with Jake Paul later this year.
Iron Mike will be returning to the sport after a four-year absence, having last faced Roy Jones Jr back in 2020.
He will be facing an opponent 30 years his junior, with Paul currently 27.
But while Tyson has wowed fans with his punching power ahead of the fight, some are concerned for the boxing icon's health as the battle approaches.
And Nathan Howarth, Development and Operations Director at the Concussion Legacy Foundation UK, has revealed Tyson is at risk of a potential brain injury.
"Boxing has an inherent risk of concussion and then there’s an increased risk of traumatic brain injury we have seen like bleeds on the brain," he told Betway.
"I’m not saying there is any evidence that as an older fighter, Mike would be at risk of that, however, we do know the impacts of subclinical concussions.
"The ones where something has happened to the brain but often turned sub-concussions, those types of blows that are doing damage, but we can’t see are just as important, and it’s particularly important for someone like Mike Tyson who has had a long period of time in the sport anyway.
"We know your exposure to head impacts increases your risk of things like chronic traumatic encephalopathy.
"The first reported cases from boxing are from the 1930s and we still see that in terms of boxing’s risk to CTE and it’s no secret that there is an element of neurodegeneration.
"There’s no definitive of what the risks would be but as someone who is 57, there’s clearly going to be a risk in terms of that age profile of potentially having more of an impact for someone who’s older.
"Your brain is slightly different in terms of its neurochemistry and neurobiology in how it will all recover from those sort of events.
"Also, it has to be said that the kind of preparation for a fight potentially (has an impact).
"The age disparity potentially puts him at risk for (slower) reaction time which is something that would decrease anyway but could be further enhanced by a long period of exposure from impact."
When asked if Tyson's age puts him at risk of a 'serious head injury', he added: "I think so.
"To be clear, anybody of all ages has to be clear about the potential risks of getting hit in the head and they’re only going to increase in terms of age and impact as you get older.
"We know that particularly as you get older, the brain's ability to recover seems to decrease.
"There is more research that would be needed to be done on the actual quantifiable risks but again, for somebody who is older, there are potential consequences for brain health, and particularly again it’s also the time he’s already being exposed that could then compound particular risks."
Tyson is, however, continuing to prepare for the fight.
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Though some would like the bout to be cancelled, that's unlikely to happen.
And Deontay Wilder, speaking over the weekend, raised fears that Tyson could end up in a coma when he does make his blockbuster return to boxing.
He told Sportsbook Review: "I think it's bad the commission has licensed Mike Tyson because he hasn't been active in 20 years, so they should not just licence him because of who he is, that's how people get hurt, god forbid he gets hurt.
"People can get hit in the wrong place and at the wrong time, there's lots of examples where guys have been hit into a coma.
"It's easy to do. He's too old for this.
"At the end of the day, no one gives a f**k about Mike.
"We can talk about the pros and cons, but at the end of the day, they don't give a f**k.
"I don't think anyone cares about Mike because if they did they wouldn't sanction the fight.
"They may say they've done tests and all that, ok, but as long as you're willing to suffer the consequences if something bad goes wrong.
"His power may not have left completely but you still need to set it up, your stamina needs to be a certain way, or it's going to look like a clown show.
"I don't want to see it to be honest."
