Roy Jones Jr. was the last man to face Mike Tyson and gave an insight into the former heavyweight champion ahead of his bout with Jake Paul in the summer.
Jones and Tyson were among the best players of their respective eras. However, the two were not able to fight until an exhibition match in November 2020. Paul was also on that card and KO'd former NBA player Nate Robinson.
Five years later, Tyson will face Paul on July 20th at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas. Jones recalled being punched in the stomach by Tyson, and the former champion made it clear he still had the punch.
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Roy Jones Jr. (left) and Mike Tyson celebrate their split draw at Staples Center in Los Angeles on November 28, 2020. (Joe Scarnici/Getty Images, Triller)
“The first time he punched me in the chest, it felt like I had been kicked in the chest by a mule,” Jones told Shane Mosley on his YouTube show. “When he hits someone with a shot like that, they're either out or down, especially players who aren't used to taking hits like that. Evander Holyfield, Lennox. -Lewis type fighters are bigger and can get takedowns.'' “
“But Jake Paul, I don't think he can take it. It might hit him in the jaw like that, we'll see, but it's going to be tough.”
Despite multiple social media posts showing his training sessions, Tyson told Fox News Channel's Sean Hannity this month that he was “scared to death” in the lead-up to his fight with Paul.
Mike Tyson fires warning shot at Jake Paul during latest sparring session months before fight
Mike Tyson attends the UFC 300 event at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas on April 13, 2024. (Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images)
Tyson said, “I have a weird personality. I don't think it's weird, but I'll do anything I'm scared to do. It is what it is.” “What was scary was [Roy Jones Jr. fight in 2020].
“I was 100 pounds overweight, but I was 54, 53 years old, so I said, 'Let's do it.' That's my personality, I'll face anything that scares me, and right now I'm scared to death.”
But it was what propelled Tyson back into the ring.
“I always believed that adversity and tension would lead me to success,” Tyson said. “If I didn't have these emotions, I wouldn't be in this fight. You have to have these emotions to fight. Without those emotions, I would never step into the ring.”
But when “reality” sets in, Tyson is all business and the butterflies fly away.
Mike Tyson attended the Billboard Music Awards at The Mayan in Los Angeles. (Gilbert Flores/Penske Media via Getty Images/File)
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“The closer I get to the fight, the less nervous I get, because this is reality. And the fact is, I'm invincible,” Tyson said.
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Ryan Gaydos is a senior editor at Fox News Digital.