Mike Tyson admits he questioned why he fought Jake Paul after nearly dying from a stomach ulcer bleed just six months before the contest.
The former undisputed heavyweight champion returned to professional boxing at 58 in November 2024, despite a life-threatening medical emergency that had forced the contest to be postponed.
Tyson offered little resistance against Paul, losing a unanimous decision over eight rounds as the age difference and his long absence from professional boxing became painfully apparent.
Speaking to Piers Morgan, Tyson revealed what happened the morning after the fight and how he questioned his decision with his wife, Kiki.
“I’ll tell you what I thought. I woke up the next morning, I was so sore, I said, ‘What the hell did I do that for?’”
Tyson continued: “That’s the first time I told my wife, ‘Hey, what the hell did I do that for? What am I out of my mind?’”
Tyson Was Warned About Paul
World Boxing News repeatedly questioned the comeback, particularly the prospect of Tyson adding a seventh professional defeat to his record against a YouTuber.
At his age, Tyson could no longer reproduce the explosive speed and devastating power that once made him the most feared heavyweight on the planet.
His final two professional fights before facing Paul ended in defeats to Danny Williams and Kevin McBride almost two decades earlier, yet Tyson still accepted another fight against an opponent 31 years younger.
WBN had also highlighted the experience of Evander Holyfield, who returned at 58 against Vitor Belfort in 2021 and was stopped in the opening round.
For Tyson, the warning signs went far beyond age and inactivity.
Tyson Almost Died
In May 2024, Tyson suffered a severe stomach ulcer bleed during a flight from Miami to Los Angeles, leaving him fearing for his life.
Speaking to New York Magazine before the rescheduled fight, Tyson revealed that he had passed out and subsequently begun vomiting blood.
“When I came to, I was in the bathroom throwing up blood,” he recalled.
With his wife crying and doctors assessing his condition, Tyson feared he might not survive.
“I asked the doctor, ‘Am I going to die?’ He said, ‘We have options.’ Options? I couldn’t believe it.”
Tyson later revealed he had required approximately eight blood transfusions, lost 25 pounds in eleven days and been told he had lost half his blood.
“I almost died,” he admitted.
Despite the ordeal, Tyson returned to training and eventually received clearance to fight Paul.
WBN contacted the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation about his medical status, establishing that Tyson’s professional license had been granted in May and remained valid after the emergency.
Communications Manager Tela Mange confirmed exclusively that regulators would continue monitoring Tyson and request additional testing if necessary.
“We will continue to monitor the situation and ask for any additional testing that we feel is appropriate,” Mange told WBN.
Tyson Admits Ego Played a Part
During his latest interview, Morgan suggested money was the obvious reason Tyson had accepted the Paul fight.
However, Tyson insisted he could have managed without the payday.
“I don’t know. We would have been fine without it. But we’re better now, but we’d have been fine without it.”
He then acknowledged another motivation.
“All that ego stuff. I don’t know why that stuff still hangs around.”
Tyson had been warned about the consequences of losing to Paul, while his near-death experience provided another serious reason to reconsider.
Yet he pressed ahead with a lucrative comeback he now admits was not financially essential.
Tyson has stopped short of explicitly saying he regrets the fight, but his admission that he questioned his decision the following morning is revealing.
After surviving an ordeal that almost cost him his life, Tyson returned to the ring, suffered his seventh defeat and woke up wondering why he had taken the risk.
About the Author
Phil Jay is the Editor-in-Chief of World Boxing News (WBN), a BWAA-acknowledged boxing news website founded in 2010. A veteran boxing reporter with 16 years of experience, he has interviewed world champions, broken international exclusives, and reported ringside from major events. His work is published worldwide through WBN and distributed on platforms including Apple News.
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