In one of the most highly-anticipated fights of the year, Mike Tyson lost to Jake Paul by unanimous decision, at the AT and T Stadium in Arlington, Texas. The bout was streamed live on Netflix and witnessed a sold-out crowd at the venue.
The fight was criticised by many for taking place. Tyson, who is already 58-years-old, was originally scheduled to fight Paul, who is 27, on July 20. But it got postponed after Tyson suffered a stomach ulcer and had to be treated for it. Tyson also reportedly lost 26 pounds during the recovery process.
The age factor was also visible during the fight where Tyson landed only 18 punches, compared to Paul’s 78. During the fight, Tyson was repeatedly seen biting his gloves, which left fans wondering as to why he was doing that.
Mike Tyson’s ‘biting fixation’
After the fight, Tyson was asked if it was due to a ‘mouthpiece’ issue or a problem with the gloves. Tyson replied, “I have a habit of biting my gloves when I fight, yes.”
Then he was asked about the reason behind it, and he simply responded, “Have a biting fixation.”
Tyson wore a knee brace, and never really took an aggressive approach, especially after the third round, when he was hit with some punches. After the final round, he revealed that he was dealing with a leg injury. He also admitted that he didn’t want to use his leg injury as an ‘excuse’.
“Yeah, but I can’t use that as an excuse. If I did, I wouldn’t be in here. I knew he was a good fighter. He was prepared, I came to fight. I didn’t prove nothing to anybody, only to myself. I’m not one of those guys that live to please the world. I’m just happy with what I can do,” he said.
It could also be interpreted in reference to his 1997 rematch when Tyson was disqualified for biting Evander Holyfield’s ears. Paul’s boxing record is now 11-1, and he hinted at a possible fight with Mexican Canelo Alvarez.
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