Mike Tyson suffered a unanimous decision loss to Jake Paul, with the 58-year-old boxing legend sharing a phone call with Turki AlAlshikh shortly before his ring walk
Mike Tyson received a phone call from Turki AlAlshikh, the head of Saudi Arabia’s General Entertainment Authority, just minutes before he walked to the ring for his fight with Jake Paul.
Tyson suffered a unanimous decision loss to the YouTuber-turned-boxer, with the 58-year-old only landing 18 punches across eight two-minute rounds. Tyson was not present at the post-fight press conference, but his team did address the media.
And it was revealed that AlAlshikh, who has spearheaded Saudi Arabia’s huge investment in boxing, spoke to Tyson shortly before the bout.
“He got a phone call from a good friend of his and a big supporter, his excellency Turki Alalshikh, when he was in the locker room just before he went out,” Tyson’s team revealed. “His excellency wished him the best and told him how proud of him he was and gave him a big pep talk.”
Tyson unsurprisingly looked a shadow of his former self during the fight, with Terence Crawford among the boxing stars to voice their concerns over his performance.
“I love Mike Tyson, but they giving him too much credit,” Crawford wrote on social media after the event. “He looked like trash, to train that long and only throw 97 punches the whole fight is crazy. I’m just glad he didn’t get hurt out there.”
However, Tyson insisted he was “happy” with his performance. Speaking in the ring, Tyson said: “I didn’t prove nothing to anybody, only to myself. I’m not one of those guys that look to please the world. I’m just happy with what I can do.”
Tyson also suggested he could get back in the ring once more and fight Jake’s older brother, Logan. “I don’t know,” he admitted when asked if he would ever compete again. “It depends on the situation. Maybe I’ll fight his brother.”
However, Logan says he has no desire to fight Tyson, with the 29-year-old now focusing more on his WWE career than boxing. “I think he wants money, I don’t think he wants to fight me,” he said.
“I f***ing love Uncle Mike he’s just so… I mean, that was impressive, no? For a 58-year-old? He’s tough, proud of him, weathered the storm against a young brute named Jake Paul. I think Jake let him live.”
Join our new WhatsApp community and receive your daily dose of Mirror Football content. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don’t like our community, you can check out any time you like. If you’re curious, you can read our Privacy Notice.
