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Mike Tyson has sparked concern after admitting he is ‘struggling to walk’ after a sparring session.
Tyson is preparing to astonishingly return to the ring aged 58 to take on Jake Paul on November 15 in a fully sanctioned professional fight.
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Tyson is set to return despite health concerns to face Paul later in 2024Credit: Getty
The veteran has already had to pull out of an original date after suffering health issues, and there is widespread concern from the boxing world about his planned return.
And in a new interview, his fresh words have not done any more to convince fans, despite admitting he is taking part in full sparring to prepare.
He told USA Today Sports: “It’s hard to walk right now.
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“But two months from now I’m going to be perfect. The fight is won in the gym.
“Listen, I’ll do anything that will help me.
“I’m going to enjoy my time here tonight with all my childhood friends, and the hell with Jake Paul.”
This is not the first time Tyson has made such admission, given he suggested his body was ‘sore’ prior to rescheduling their bout initially.
Tyson had been training sporadically prior to their original planned date in July, but a flare up of a stomach ulcer prevented him from training.
He has since made a full return to camp, posting footage once again in small clips, which fans have not been entirely convinced by.
It will be Tyson’s first competitive appearance since 2005, where he lost to Kevin McBride and was ultimately forced to retire.
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Tyson is not entirely satisfied with his body going into the clashCredit: Michelle Farsi/Most Valuable Promotions
Despite his struggles, Tyson still possesses power in short bursts and some believe that could be enough to win the fight in remarkable circumstances.
Many believe the fight should be cancelled altogether, and podcaster Joe Rogan believes Tyson should post full training footage rather than bursts to prove his fitness.
“I wish he didn’t do it. I wish it wasn’t a thing,” Rogan said on a recent episode of his podcast.
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“I wish it wasn’t a thing where a 58-year-old guy was going to fight a 27-year-old. That said, I fully support his desire to do it.
“What, is he going to live forever? No, he’s not going to live forever. Maybe he wants one more shot at it. Maybe his body can do one more fight.
“I don’t know. He looks great on the mitts, but I can look good on the mitts, especially if you’re watching 30-second clips.
“What you want to see is him sparring. You want to see him hitting the bag for multiple rounds. Let’s see three rounds hard on the bag. I want to see what you can do.
“I want to see how your feet move. I want to see what it looks like if you’re off balance when you’re throwing combinations.”
Time will tell if Tyson is ready, but by his own words, it could be a seriously tough ask.
On Sunday, Tyson looked healthy enough as he attended the venue of the November 15 fight for a face-off with Paul.
The pair went head-to-head in the middle of the pitch at the AT&T Stadium in Texas before the Dallas Cowboys game.
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Paul posted the clip and captioned it: “BIG AS THE SUPER BOWL.”
The pair then also did an additional face-off with Cowboys owner Jerry Jones in between them.
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