Mike Tyson has admitted that he was asking doctors if he would die during a brutal health scare that cost him a July comeback date.
Promotion was well underway for a July 20 meeting between the boxing icon and Jake Paul at AT&T Stadium in Dallas as early as May of this year. But when Tyson suffered an ulcer flare-up during a flight, he was told by doctors to postpone his comeback.
Instead, Paul moved back down from heavyweight to take on Mike Perry on that date, winning by sixth round knockout. And the fight was moved to November 15, with the venue not changing as Netflix opted to power through with the event.
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Mike Tyson was forced out of Jake Paul fight due to health concern
With just weeks to go until the initial July date, In Touch Weekly reported that Tyson had be seen to by paramedics on board a flight from Miami to Los Angeles. He later claimed to be okay after it was confirmed that he had suffered an ulcer flare up,
But the fight date had to be moved to November 15, much to the annoyance of Paul. He opted to still compete on July 20, taking on Perry before calling out Tyson and pushing forward with a new event on a rare Friday.
“During a follow up consultation on Thursday with medical professionals on his recent ulcer flare up, the recommendation is for Mike Tyson to do minimal to light training over the next few weeks and then return to full training with no limitations,” a press release at the time read.
“Both Mike and Jake are in agreement that it is only fair to ensure that both athletes have equal training time to prepare for this important match and are able to compete at the highest level. The health and well-being of athletes is our top priority.
“And we fully support Mike in taking the necessary time to allow him to perform at the level he expects of himself. Mike is expected to return to his full training schedule in the coming weeks and is eager to get back in the ring. “
Mike Tyson finally opens up about ulcer flare-up
In the new Netflix Countdown documentary ahead of Paul vs Tyson, the pair have both gone into great detail about their lives in the build-up to the fight. And there is footage of the boxing icon being attended to in hospital after suffering his ulcer flare-up.
He has remained relatively quiet about the incident in the media, but in the documentary spoke about the brutal pain he endured during that infamous flight from Miami. “I was training and I was doing great,” he explained.
“Then all of a sudden I started feeling kind of tired and I was explaining to my trainer ‘I don’t know what’s wrong with me. Coming here from Miami on the plane I went to the bathroom and I threw up blood, next thing I know I’m on the floor and I was defecating tar.”
Mike Tyson admits he feared for his life during health scare
The documentary shows footage of doctors warning him to take his exercise routine slow at first before building back up the intensity. And he notes that he began to fear for his life with the pain after learning of the severity of his ulcer.
“So I came here [to the hospital] and they found out I had a big ulcer,” he told cameras during the second episode of the three-part series. “Two-and-a-half inches and it’s bleeding. All of my friends were calling me like I’m dying.
“I asked the doctor if I’m going to die and she didn’t say no, she said ‘we have options, though’ and that’s when I got nervous. I can’t wait to get out of this motherf***er man, I want to fight and get back to training. I don’t want to die in a hospital bedroom, I want to die in the ring.”
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