Mike Tyson’s ex-trainer, Brad Rowe, has defended the boxer’s physical shape and running form ahead of his upcoming fight against Jake Paul later this year.
Tyson, who will be 58 years old by the time the fight takes place, has faced concerns from fans over his health and fitness after a video of him running went viral. However, Rowe, who helped with Tyson’s preparation for his last exhibition fight against Roy Jones Jr. in 2020, believes that Tyson is still capable of performing at a high level in the ring.
“Mike is a unicorn,” Rowe said. “He is stiff and uncoordinated in so many aspects of training. When he enters the ring, he turns into a ballerina. It’s unexplainable.”
Rowe recalled that Tyson had no issues with sprinting during his training camp for the Jones Jr. fight, despite Rowe’s concerns about the intensity of the exercises.
“Day 1 he’s like, ‘No, f*** you. I’m sprinting.’ So I was like, ‘All right. Let’s pray for no injuries today.’”
He added: “We’d go to this tennis court, and he would jog around the corners and sprint the straightaways, and I’d be, like, I didn’t want him doing it. Because, especially with someone older, an athlete like that, who’s not used to that explosive moment.’’
Meanwhile, Tyson’s opponent, Jake Paul, has won his last two fights by knockout against professional boxers Ryan Bourland and Andre August. His only loss since taking up boxing came against Tommy Fury, the younger brother of WBC heavyweight champion Tyson Fury. Despite his lack of experience compared to Tyson, Paul is confident heading into the fight.
Tyson, on the other hand, has been critical of the business side of boxing and has focused on growing his cannabis business since his retirement.
