Mike Tyson, at 58, faces risks beyond losing to Jake Paul

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ARLINGTON, Texas — Mike Tyson will be fighting a man not even half his age Friday. While there are risks anytime a boxer steps into the ring, experts have weighed in on how Tyson's age might play a factor in the highly anticipated Netflix fight.

At 58, the former world heavyweight champion will become one of the oldest boxers to compete in a sanctioned professional fight. Not to mention he’ll be boxing against a man less than half of his age – 27-year-old Jake Paul.

"You're only as old as you feel,'' Tyson has said, in an attempt to dismiss the issue.

But on May 26, he suffered what his representatives called an "ulcer flare-up'' during a flight from Miami to Los Angeles. It required medical attention, a trip to the hospital and led to the fight being postponed for four months. And the chorus of concerns over health risks Tyson might face grow even louder as the heavyweight bout set to be held at AT&T Stadium nears.

Stephen Hughes, a senior lecturer of medicine at Anglia Riskin University in England, was one of the first to raise the issue.

Citing Tyson’s age and past alcohol abuse as risk factors, Hughes in May wrote in an article published by "The Conversation" that head trauma would put the boxer at greater risk of suffering a subdural hematoma, which is potentially fatal.

A subdural hematoma occurs "when a blood vessel near the surface of the brain bursts," according to Harvard Health, which also reports a subdural hematoma is a "life-threatening problem because it can compress the brain."

In addressing additional risks for Tyson, Hughes referred to the late Muhammad Ali. The legendary boxer for many years suffered from Parkinson’s disease, widely believed to have been linked to head trauma Ali suffered during his celebrated career.

“In some instances, a condition resembling Parkinson’s disease may result from loss of neurons in a part of the brain called the substantia nigra,’’ Hughes wrote. “Muhammad Ali may have been afflicted with this, but it was never confirmed.’’

Age and the ability to react quickly to punches

Damon Zavala, Vice President of the Association of Ringside Physicians, said he thinks a subdural hematoma is a risk for boxers regardless of age.

But with Tyson, Zavala said, “The issue is that his reflexes and his ability to react and get out of the way of punches has declined over the years. So while he still has his own power, he still is going to be at greater risk for getting hit due to the fact that he's not going to be able to get out of the way of punches.’’

At 58, Evander Holyfield looked chiseled when he stepped into the ring in 2021 for a fight against Vitor Belfort, a 44-year-old mixed martial arts fighter. Holyfield, the former heavyweight champion who beat Tyson twice, was knocked out in the first round.

Zavala said George Foreman talked about having slower reflexes when he came out of retirement in his mid-40s.

“He says that he would think about throwing a punch, but it would take a little time for that to actually happen,’’ said Zavala, who is trained in internal medicine. “So the reflexes, both defensively and offensively, are not the same.’’

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Nevertheless, Foreman won the unified world heavyweight championship in 1995 at the age of 45 when he knocked out Michael Moorer, then 26.

John Neidecker, the past president of the Association of Ringside Physicians, said he thinks concern related to Tyson’s health is muted among ringside physicians because of skepticism around the fight. He also said he views Paul as an entertainer as much as a boxer, and as a result is reluctant to address health risks.

“There's just a lot of things going on here that I think that's why a lot of people aren't really like screaming from the rooftops that this fight shouldn't happen with a 58-year-old guy,’’ he said.

Mike Tyson had additional medical testing before the fight

The Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation oversees combat sports in the state, and fighters 36 or older are subject to additional medical examination.

As a fighter over the age of 36, Tyson was required to submit favorable EEG and EKG results as part of his application, according to Tela Mange. He did that in May, Mange said.

The TDLR said Thursday that Tyson passed a pre-fight physical earlier in the day. In a statement, the TDLR added, "The safety of the contestants competing in the ring or the cage is always the primary concern of TDLR staff. This competition is no different."

Boxing promoter Lou DiBella fumed at the TDLR's decision to sanction a pro fight for a 58-year-old.

“A regular guy has to go through hoops to get licensed to fight in a lot of states being 40 years old,’’ DiBella said. “How in the state of Texas is a 58-year-old man licensed to fight a professional prize fight?’’

The TDLR declined to comment further on the issue of sanctioning the fight.

In 2018, Jack Lucious was 64 when he fought a sanctioned pro bout in Texas, according to BoxRec, the official registry of the sport. Lucious lost by TKO in the first round of a scheduled four-round welterweight fight.

Bryce Holden, the fight promoter, requested a sanctioned fight instead of an exhibition. But the rules for the bout are more commonly used for exhibitions.

At the promoter’s request, the TDLR agreed to two-minute rounds rather than the standard three-minute rounds, widely believed to be a concession to Tyson’s age. The TDLR also agreed to the use of 14-ounce gloves rather than standard 10-ounce gloves.

“It will take the sting off a little bit,’’ Nico Ali Walsh, a grandson of Muhammad Ali and a pro boxer, said of the heavier gloves. “And I believe the glove size is there just as a precaution, since Mike is older than people that are fighting professionally. He shouldn't be fighting in professionally sized gloves.

“I don't think any sanctioning body would allow the fight to happen with Mike if they were 10-ounce gloves and three-minute rounds.’’

Mike Tyson's past health issues

In talking about age, Tyson is fond of referring to Julius Caesar. He points out that before the Julian calendar was named for Caesar, age wasn’t marked as it is today.

In other words, back then, Tyson wouldn’t have any age.

But the ulcer flare-up served as evidence of health issues.

“I went to the bathroom and I threw up blood," Tyson told Netflix for a documentary-style series leading up to the fight. "The next thing I know I'm on the floor.'' The source of the trauma was a 2½-inch bleeding ulcer, according to Tyson, who conducted the interview from a hospital room.

Health issues are nothing new for Tyson in recent years. In August 2022, he was spotted at the Miami International Airport in a wheelchair. Tyson said he had crippling back pain from sciatica and later had a surgical procedure that eliminated the pain.

While preparing for the Paul fight, Tyson once remarked he was having trouble walking because of his rigorous training.

Safety did not appear to be a concern when, with the cameras rolling, he told Netflix of his fight with Paul, “If I do it bad, I don't want to die in a hospital bed, I want to die in the ring.”

Follow Josh Peter on social media @joshlpeter11

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