Mike Tyson revealed the reason he writes numbers on his punching bag ahead of his fight with Jake Paul.
Earlier this month it was announced that Tyson, 57, was set to take on influencer-turned-boxer Paul in a boxing match in Texas on July 20.
In February, Paul, 27, beat Ryan Bourland in his 10th professional fight. Meanwhile, Tyson last boxed in a professional bout in 2005, but was once the youngest heavyweight champion in history at 20 and the first heavyweight boxer to simultaneously hold the WBA, WBC and IBF titles.
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Indeed, Tyson is regarded among the greatest fighters in history. When American stand-up David Brenner interviewed a 20-year-old Tyson he later revealed that he had never punched as loud as the American’s.
He claimed that Tyson’s sounded as if someone had been hitting men made of cement. Brenner also asked him the reason his trainer Kevin Rooney yelled numbers while he boxed in the ring.
Brenner asked: “In the corner, Kevin Rooney, your trainer was yelling numbers. He yelled out numbers [like] 7-3-5! Is he playing numbers?”
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Tyson explained that Rooney yelled numbers, with each disguising a specific punch he would throw at his opponents.
He said: “No, listen. In our training sessions, we fight by numbers. We call numbers out instead of calling the punches.”
Tyson’s upcoming fight has drawn criticism from certain quarters for the 30-year age gap between the fighters. Ricky Hatton has not held back with his criticism, while UFC president Dana White also raised the issue of the age difference between the two men.
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Nevertheless, Tyson appears determined ahead of the bout, having sent Paul some chilling messages as he prepares.
Taking to Snapchat, accompanied by a picture of him drinking from a water bottle with wraps on after training, Tyson wrote: "Jake Paul, where you at?"
And in another warning message to the YouTuber, Tyson wrote: "Fighting is a sport: if you're not humble, it's going to bring humbleness to you."
Topics: Boxing, Mike Tyson, Jake Paul
Chris Byfield