 "Mike Tyson in a staredown with Jake Paul two days before their highly-anticipated showdown in Arlington, Texas. AP")
American boxing legend Mike Tyson has opened up on the reasons behind making another comeback to the ring post-retirement to face popular YouTuber Jake Paul, claiming that “God told him” to do so after he smoked an illegal poison. The former undisputed world heavyweight champion revealed the substance that he smoked was venom from a toad from the Sonoran Desert, which is categorised as a form of poison and is illegal in the country.
“You rub it (toad venom) down until it becomes fine sand, and then you smoke it,” ‘Iron’ Mike told the Interview magazine.
“Then you meet God. And this is what God told me to do,” he added. .
The 58-year-old, who earned the moniker ’the baddest man on the planet’ during the prime years of his illustrious boxing career, is set to face 27-year-old Paul in an bout that will take place at the AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas on Friday and will be streamed globally on Netflix.
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Tyson added that the idea of the “greatest fighter since the beginning of life” meeting a YouTuber with 70 million fans was his, one that he claimed would lead to an “explosion of excitement”.
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More Shorts“This fight is not going to change my life or my finances or nothing. You have a YouTuber that has 70 million fans. And I’m the greatest fighter since the beginning of life, so what does that make? That makes an explosion of excitement,” said Tyson, who slapped Paul during their weigh-on on Thursday on the eve of the highly-anticipated bout.
Tyson had retired in 2005 with a record of 50 wins in 58 bouts, including 44 by knock-out, becoming the youngest boxer to win the heavyweight title at the age of 20. Paul, on the other hand, has a record of 10 wins in 11 matches, including seven by knockout against other YouTubers and celebrities.