The big fight bluster began in earnest on Wednesday, when Jake Paul and Mike Tyson met for the final press conference ahead of today’s spectacle. But the latter cut a completely disinterested figure throughout, speaking quietly and uttering a total of only 135 words.
Host Ariel Helwani did his best to reel in the former heavyweight champion, but Tyson clearly wasn’t in the mood. “Are you talking to me?” he said in response to one question. “Yes, I am back. I am just happy to be here. I love you, too.”
Paul didn’t have much luck, either. The YouTuber frequently attempted to goad his rival and asked him about his appearance in a recent documentary, where he described himself as a “natural born killer”.
But Tyson did not bite. “That’s what I said,” he replied.
In fact, the only moment in which he showed a flicker of his old self was when he was asked by a journalist about what he would do if he lost to Paul. “I’m not going to lose,” he shot back. “I am not going to lose. Did you hear what I said?”
