Mike Tyson Says 'It's Hard to Walk Right Now,' but Nothing Will Stop Him from Fighting Jake Paul

It feels like an eternity since Mike Tyson released this video of his first day of training to fight Jake Paul and struck fear into the hearts of men everywhere. And we're still two months away, thanks to Iron Mike struggling with the sorts of physical ailments that are not uncommon among what men of my age euphemistically refer to as "men of a certain age." 

And now with 8 1/2 weeks before the bout, Tyson has an update that is, strange as it sounds, both concerning and encouraging at the same time:

Source - He’s 58 years old and indicates there’s no need for money. So why is Mike Tyson moving forward with his fight against 27-year-old Jake Paul?

“I could be waiting on a check every day from cannabis,’’ Tyson said, referring to his cannabis company, Tyson 2.0. “That’s (B.S.) for me. I’m a man. … I want to go out there and I want to expose myself to risk. …

“Sometimes I want to see who I really am. I want to see what I'm really made out of. …

"I want to perform in front of the world,'' Tyson said. "To me, that's all I ever knew how to do since I was 14. …

“This fight is not going to change my life financially enough,’’ Tyson said. “This is just what I want to do.’’

Regarding the ulcer flareup that led to the fight being postponed, Tyson said he has no more ulcers and his “blood count is almost back. …

“It’s hard to walk right now,’’ he said. “But two months from now I’m going to be perfect.’’ 

I used the word "concerning" for good reason. On some level, Tyson's words should trouble anyone who's ever seen Rocky IV. Because these are eerily similar to what Apollo Creed said before he stepped into the ring with Ivan Drago:

"We always have to be in the middle of the action 'cause we're the warriors. And without some challenge, without some damn war to fight then the warriors might as well be dead, Stallion. Now I'm asking you - as a friend - stand by my side this one last time."                            

And we all know how that ended. His best friend didn't throw the damn towel:

RIP, Apollo. RIP, Carl Weathers. 

But at the same time, you have to respect the balls out of Tyson for going through with this, ulcers and all. Like Creed, this is what he does. He's beaten the best. He's retired more men than Social Security. He's a warrior. He needs to be in the middle of the action. He needs some challenge. Some damn war to fight. 

Sure, he could sit this one out. Take the easy and reasonable excuse his ulcers are giving him and call it quits. No one could begrudge him. No one would question his guts, his honor or his manhood if he stayed home, collected his cannabis money and fell a sleep in the Lay-Z-Boy in front of Me TV like most 58-year-olds. But that's not him. That's not what he does. What he is, is a guy who's been fighting men, life, and his own demons since before he had a learner's permit. It's his nature to strap on the gloves and go toe-to-toe with anyone with the courage to step through the ropes and face him, in front of the world. 

Unlike a lot (most?) fighters at his level, he's made it to an age where he starts getting mail from AARP. But he's still the 14-year-old who took up the sport and the champion who won the Heavyweight belt six years later. And speaking as someone who's closer to his age than I care to think about, he's an inspiration. I never thought I'd be saying this back when he was doing time in prison or cannibalizing Evander Holyfield's ears, but Mike Tyson has become a role model. They cannot ring the bell on this bout soon enough.