Mike Tyson promises to bring ‘the devil himself’ to the ring vs. Jake Paul

DALLAS, TX — As Mike Tyson prepares to compete in his first professional boxing match in nearly two decades against YouTuber-turned-prizefighter Jake Paul, the 58-year-old wants to remind the world why he was once considered “the baddest man on the planet.”

To the new generation of fight fans who never had a chance to experience him in his prime, Tyson has presented himself as a happy and fun-loving person. But when the bell rings Friday night at AT&T Stadium, Tyson promises the old “Iron Mike” will be back — if only for one night.

“I bring the devil himself (to the ring),” Tyson told a small group of reporters during Tuesday’s open workout, just days before his highly anticipated meeting with Paul.

And although he has struck up a friendship with Paul, he warns his opponent not to mistake his kindness for weakness.

“There’s no emotion attached,” Tyson said. “My own mother has to be very careful if she’s going to be in the ring with me. When it’s over, it’s over. But while the process is going on, my intention is to hurt him. I hope he has the same intentions, or he’s in trouble.”

Not only did he promise to knock out his opponent, who is 31 years his junior, but Tyson also said the ferocity he will bring to the ring will make him unrecognizable to his younger children, especially his 16-year-old daughter Milan.

“She saw me on TV fighting Roy Jones (in 2020), but she’s never seen anything of this magnitude in her life,” Tyson said. “My kids don’t really think of me as the baddest man on the planet. They look at me as daddy (and tell me) put your old ass down.

“But on November 15, they will have a different opinion of me.”