Jake Paul has shared a photograph detailing the severity of an injury he sustained just days before his highly anticipated showdown with Mike Tyson. The influencer-turned-boxer suffered a complete tear of the ligament in his ankle during training, an incident that almost jeopardized the long-awaited bout.
Despite the seriousness of the injury, Paul pushed forward with the fight, which had already been rescheduled once due to Mike Tyson‘s health issues. With a multimillion-dollar Netflix contract and a record-breaking audience on the line, canceling the fight was never an option.
Paul, who had to significantly increase his weight to face Tyson—reaching 227 pounds—acknowledged that the injury affected his performance. “Two weeks ago, I sprained my ankle, completely tore the ligament, the anterior ligament, and snapped the other side of my foot. I was on crutches for four or five days,” Paul revealed during a post-fight press conference according to bloodyelbow.com.
“It hindered the end of my training camp. I don’t know how it didn’t get leaked or anything. I missed about two weeks of sparring, and that’s why my cardio didn’t feel so good tonight,“ Paul added.
(L-R) Mike Tyson, Nakisa Bidarian, and Jake Paul attend the press conference for LIVE on Netflix: Jake Paul vs. Mike Tyson at the Toyota Music Factory on November 13, 2024 in Dallas, Texas. (Photo by Brett Carlsen/Getty Images for Netflix © 2024)
A Bittersweet Victory for Jake Paul Over Mike Tyson
Despite the injury, Paul secured a victory over Tyson via unanimous decision. However, the fight fell short of expectations for many spectators, who had hoped for a more thrilling spectacle.
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Paul later admitted he held back his aggression during the fight, taking Tyson’s age and physical condition into consideration. “I tried to give the best fight I possibly could, but when someone is just surviving in the ring, it’s hard to make it exciting,” Paul said.
“I couldn’t get him to engage, slip shots, or do something super cool, but I don’t care what people have to say. They’re always going to have something to say, and it is what it is,” he added.
Paul vs. Tyson: New Context for a Controversial Fight
The revelation of Paul’s severe injury adds new context to the controversial confrontation. His determination to overcome the pain and step into the ring demonstrates remarkable grit, even though the fight may not have lived up to the hype for many viewers.
