FIGHT PUSHED TO FALL
Mike Tyson's fight with Jake Paul has been rescheduled after Tyson's health episode
Jun 10, 2024, 2:36 pm
FIGHT PUSHED TO FALL
Mike Tyson's fight with Jake Paul is now set for Nov. 15 after the former world heavyweight champion fell ill on a flight last month.
The fight was originally set for July 20 in Arlington, Texas, home to the NFL's Dallas Cowboys, and will be aired on Netflix.
Tyson became nauseous and dizzy during the final hour of a flight from Miami to Los Angeles. His plane was met by first responders, while Tyson’s camp attributed the episode to an ulcer problem and said he would need to do light training for several weeks.
Tyson turns 58 on June 30.
“Although we had to postpone the fight, I will resume training shortly. I am thankful to the medical staff that treated me and to MVP, Netflix, and AT&T Stadium for working diligently to find the best reschedule date for all parties,” Tyson said in a statement released by Netflix. “While we have a new date, the result will be the same no matter when we fight. Jake Paul is getting knocked out."
The fight was originally slated for a Saturday, but will be held on a Friday as the Cowboys prepare to host the Houston Texans on Nov. 18 for Monday Night Football.
“Our team has worked diligently with all parties involved to reschedule this monumental fight to a date that ensures both Jake Paul and Mike Tyson are fully prepared, with equal training time, as well as allowing us to keep the event at AT&T stadium in the midst of the Cowboys season,” said Nakisa Bidarian, co-founder of Most Valuable Promotions.
Tyson hasn’t fought professionally since June 2005, but he has been training regularly for several years. He fought Roy Jones Jr. in an entertaining exhibition in Los Angeles in November 2020.
Milwaukee star Giannis Antetokounmpo has “no hard feelings” toward Amen Thompson after the Houston forward was ejected for pulling him down from behind by his head and neck Tuesday night.
The Bucks were down by two with about 4½ minutes left when Thompson committed the foul as Antetokounmpo went up for a shot in the lane. The play was reviewed and determined to by a flagrant foul 2 and Thompson was ejected.
Houston went on to a 100-97 victory that snapped Milwaukee’s four-game winning streak.
“At the end of the day like you don’t wanna have a league that’s soft,” Antetokounmpo said when asked about the play. “I love guys that play hard. I love guys that they’re great competitors.”
“I’m one of those guys,” he continued. “Sometimes your competitive nature gets in the way (of) making the best decision, the best judgment at the time. And I feel like he wanted to make it a hard foul, but he grabbed my neck. But there’s no hard feelings.”
Thompson didn’t speak to reporters after the game.
Antetokounmpo believes that plays like this one or simply part of the game.
“I understand like when you’re a competitor, you’re gonna make mistakes like that,” he said. “I love it. I love playing this way. I don’t have no hard feelings against him.”
Both Houston coach Ime Udoka and Milwaukee coach Doc Rivers agreed that Thompson should have been ejected for the foul.
Crew chief Tony Brothers explained the decision to eject Thompson to a pool reporter after the game.
“Because the contact to the head was both unnecessary and excessive and by rule that’s a flagrant foul penalty two,” he said.
It’s the second ejection this season for Thompson, who was also tossed in a December game against the Heat after throwing Miami guard Tyler Herro to the floor. The incident triggered an altercation between the teams which led to the ejections of six players and staff members.
Thompson, the fourth overall pick in the 2023 draft, was suspended two games for his actions in that skirmish.