For months now, the biggest upcoming fight in professional boxing was the bout between 27-year-old Jake Paul and 57-year-old Mike Tyson. The fight, originally scheduled for July 20, was set to be streamed on Netflix, and had captivated the entire boxing world. Unfortunately though, as of May 31, the fight has been postponed.
Everyone's worst fear has come true. The biggest worry leading up to this fight was whether or not Tyson would be medically cleared, and it seems that he is at the moment in no position to fight.
In all fairness, Tyson's team and all reports claim that this was a flare-up, and that Tyson had been feeling as good as ever right before. However, other reports would indicate otherwise.
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When was the fight rescheduled to?
As of right now, no new date for the fight has been given. That said, on Friday, May 31, both Paul and Tyson said that they will announce a new date for the fight the following week, which would be in the coming days.
We will update when there is a definitive date.
Tyson suffered medical scare on May 27
Four days before the fight was officially postponed, Tyson reportedly suffered a medical emergency on a plane scheduled to fly from Miami to Los Angeles. According to the New York Post, Tyson's representatives say that Tyson became nauseous and dizzy -- stemming from an ulcer flare up -- about thirty minutes before the plane landed.
The scare wound up delaying passengers from leaving the plane for 25 minutes while medical professionals tended to Tyson. However, after all was said and done, Tyson's representatives said that the former heavyweight champ was "doing great."
It is believed that this is the event that ultimately led to the fight's postponement. In a statement from the fight promoter, it read, "During a follow-up consultation on Thursday with medical professionals on his recent ulcer flare-up, the recommendation is for Mike Tyson to do minimal to light training over the next few weeks and then return to full training with no limitations."
Of course, with Tyson unable to train, he will be in no position to fight a boxer like Jake Paul. Tyson had been training feverishly before this though. Since the announcement that the fight would be rescheduled, Tyson has come forward to reiterate that he's still in excellent shape, and has even claimed "my body is in better overall shape than it has been since the 1990s, and I will be back to my full training schedule soon."
What health risks does Mike Tyson face?
USA Today's Josh Peter wrote Friday that he'd interviewed seven doctors "who specialize in gastroenterology, which defined by the Mayo Clinic involves 'preventing, diagnosing and treating the digestive tract.' That includes treating ulcers."
Although none of those doctors are treating Tyson personally, they recommended between three and six weeks of recovery for Tyson in order to fully treat the issue. One of the doctors explained that an untreated ulcer can require emergency surgery, which would be a worst-case scenario for Tyson. Given that Tyson has already postponed the fight, it doesn't appear that it will go untreated.
What could have caused the ulcer?
According to Peter's report, the leading cause for ulcers is bacterial infection and non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs). Of the seven doctors Peter spoke to, five allegedly raised the possibility that Tyson was taking NSAIDs for pain caused by his excessive training, leading to the ulcer.
Reactions to Paul-Tyson postponement:
Dana White: "No comment"
In a press conference, White, a good friend of Tyson's, told reporters that he was not going to talk about the Tyson-Paul fight publicly. "For the first time probably ever in my life, I have no comment on something. That’s Mike’s world, and you know, he gets pissed at me every time I talk about that stuff. Good for him, and they’ll figure it out."
White had been a staunch advocate that Tyson should not return to the ring to fight Jake Paul, and it appears he got his wish for now. White's statement "Good for him" referring to Tyson, hints that White is at least glad that Tyson is taking his doctors' advice and not pushing through a serious medical issue for his own pride.
Jake Paul: He still hopes to knock Mike Tyson out
In an Instagram video, Jake Paul expressed his disappointment in the news of Tyson's health problems. Paul, never one to worry about coming off arrogantly, was actually surprisingly respectful of Tyson, iterating that Tyson's health comes first and foremost over the fight. Paul called the news "devastating" but remained adamant that the fight will still happen. "This may have bought you some time," Paul said. "But in the end, you will still be knocked out."
