Mike Tyson says training for Jake Paul made him ‘tougher than I think I was’

Mike Tyson hasn’t had a professional fight since 2005 – but then Jake Paul came calling.

Now, at the age of 58, with his last pro fight coming before he even turned 40, Tyson will be back in the ring this Friday in front of his biggest crowd ever.

Tyson will face the YouTuber-turned-boxer in front of close to 100,000 people at AT&T Stadium, and the fight will be streamed on Netflix to nearly 300 million subscribers.

CLICK HERE FOR MORE SPORTS COVERAGE ON FOXNEWS.COM

Boxer Mike Tyson on the field before the game between the Dallas Cowboys and the New Orleans Saints at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas on September 15, 2024. (Kevin Jairaj-Imagn Photos)

Tyson and Roy Jones Jr. fought in an exhibition back in 2020, ironically, when Paul was on the undercard.

Paul, despite what the haters may say about the legitimacy of his career and fights, is in the best shape of his life at the age of 27. The age difference of 29 years is the largest in professional boxing history.

This meant that Tyson had to turn back the clock a little in his training – and he did.

In his open workout on Tuesday, Tyson threw heavy punches like he has throughout his career, and even though he was in the ring for just a few minutes, he was drenched in sweat in a true indicator of hard work.

Tyson was asked what he learned about himself from the workout, and it seemed like he wasn’t even expecting a successful camp.

Mike Tyson, left, and Jake Paul hold a press conference during Fanatics Fest NYC at the Javits Center on August 18, 2024 in New York City. (John Nacion/Getty Images)

“That I’m tougher than I think I was,” Tyson said in Dallas. “When I agreed to this fight, I started training, I said ‘what the hell am I thinking?’

“I finished the process and now the game is over. All the hard work is done.”

Perhaps Tyson needed to learn even more about himself when he suffered a flare-up in May, about seven weeks before the fight’s original date.

But in almost every workout video Tyson has posted, it’s clear he’s put in the work.

Mike Tyson, left, and Jake Paul attend the Fanatics Fest press conference at the Javits Center on August 18, 2024 in New York City. (Michael Loccisano/Getty Images)

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

He enters the fight as an underdog, but it’s hard to doubt the “Baddest Man on the Planet” whose confidence seems to be sky high.

Follow Fox News Digital sports coverage on Xand subscribe to the Fox News Sports Huddle newsletter.