Mike Tyson’s trainer holds no fears for the boxer suffering a possible brain injury when he returns to the ring to face Jake Paul on July 20.
Tyson, 58, last fought professionally almost 20 years ago when he retired after five rounds against Kevin McBride before returning in an exhibition bout against Roy Jones Jr in November, 2020.
That eight-round contest ended in a draw.
File/Mike Tyson throws a punch in the seventh round against Roy Jones Jr. during Mike Tyson vs Roy Jones Jr. presented by Triller at Staples Center on November 28, 2020 in Los Angeles, California. (Joe Scarnici/Getty Images for Triller)
Rafael Cordeiro has now signed off on Tyson’s return despite a warning from doctor Stephen Hughes who sounded the alarm about the potentially lethal consequences including brain damage for Tyson.
There will be a 31-year age difference between the fighters when they square off in four months. Cordeiro said on The MMA Hour he is confident of the bout progressing:
I believe we don’t have to be concerned about it. We’re talking about a two-time world champion. The guy didn’t have 20 fights in two years, he knows how to fight.
He’s fought against the best guys in the world. When he steps inside the ring he knows what to do. It’s not something new for Mike, and this fight is no different. He works hard every single day to go in there and try to knock Jake out from the beginning to the end. He’s going to prove that in July.
Questions over Tyson’s readiness for July’s fight with the YouTuber-turned-boxer Jake Paul come after UFC middleweight legend Chael Sonnen said a recent training video showing Tyson in preparation was a fake.
“In the future, if you’re ever going to spend five seconds hitting mitts, as a way of making the audience believe you’re doing a training session, make sure you splash water on your face and T-shirt first,” Sonnen said, as Breitbart News reported.
Paul and Tyson clash on July 20 at AT&T Stadium in Dallas.
