During a revealing appearance at San Diego Comic-Con 2023, Mike Tyson shared a surprising confession that stunned fans. Speaking at the ‘The Art of Fighting’ panel for TEKKEN 8, Tyson recalled a moment in his early career when he considered quitting mid-fight.
The panel, which also featured Cris Cyborg and WWE Superstar Xavier Woods (Austin Creed), focused on the evolution of fighting techniques in combat sports and video games. But Tyson‘s personal anecdote stole the show.
While responding to a fan’s question, Tyson looked back on his December 1985 bout against Mark Young. At the time, Tyson was just beginning to build his unstoppable reputation. But what fans didn’t know is that during this fight, Tyson found himself on the verge of walking away.
“My second 10-round fight-the guy wasn’t that great of a fighter, really,” Tyson recalled. “But he hit me in the stomach a couple of times and it hurt and I wanted to stop.”
Despite the pain, Tyson did not quit. Instead, he fought through it and delivered a first-round knockout, marking his 15th consecutive knockout victory.
He would go on to defeat his next four opponents by knockout before facing his first unanimous decision win against James Tillis in 1986.
But the punches from Mark Young left a lasting impact on Tyson, as he later revealed, “I couldn’t walk for three days.” This prompted a fan to suggest that Tyson might have tried to avoid body shots in future bouts.
“No, not really, but I know I can take them now,” he noted.
Tyson’s latest chapter at 58
Fast forward to 2024, and Tyson once again found himself in the ring – but this time it was against a new-age competitor: YouTuber-turned-boxer Jake Paul. The 58-year-old Tyson faced Paul in a 10-round exhibition match in Arlington, Texas, and while the bout ended with a unanimous decision in Paul‘s favor, Tyson‘s performance defied expectations.
Many critics speculated that age and fatigue played a role in Tyson‘s loss, but Tyson dismissed those claims.
“Magically, it just happened so quick. Eight rounds were over fast. I wasn’t tired, I wasn’t sweating. I didn’t understand that,” he told 7News.
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