As the fight between Mike Tyson and Jake Paul approaches, the number of those expressing concern about Iron Mike’s decision to compete in a professional fight at the age of 58 and after nearly 20 years of inactivity continues to grow. The latest to voice doubts in this regard was former heavyweight world champion Deontay Wilder, but according to Esquire, Mike Tyson reacted rather harshly to his compatriot’s words:
“Then let Mike get hurt. You don’t have to worry about paying my bills. Everyone says this makes no sense, but he’s how old? He’s not who I am. He can’t go to Mongolia and have somebody know who the f*** he is.”
The fight between Tyson and Paul has already been postponed once due to an ulcer that affected Iron Mike and has been rescheduled for November 15 at AT&T Stadium in Arlington. It will be a full-fledged professional match, albeit with some special rules agreed upon by the parties, including the duration of two minutes for the eight scheduled rounds and the use of 14-ounce gloves instead of the 10-ounce ones typically used by heavyweights.