Mike Tyson is thinking about his last wishes, and they could be coming sooner than expected.
Tyson, 58, slated to fight boxing-Youtuber Jake Paul in a match on Nov. 15 that will be broadcasted on Netflix, said he’d rather die in the ring than on a hospital bed.
“This is really big for me, if I win, I will be immortal,” Tyson said according to a clip released from Netflix’s upcoming documentary on the fight. “If I do it bad, I don’t want to die in a hospital bed, I want to die in the ring.”
Tyson has already had medical issues in the build-up to the fight, including a pre-flight ulcer flare-up, which pushed the fight back from July to November.
His medical problems made for a hectic few days as medical professionals rushed onto the plane to treat the legendary boxer.
When the fight was postponed, Paul decided to box MMA fighter Mike Perry, whom he defeated by TKO in round six.
Tyson has previously alluded to death in the past build-up of this fight, saying that Paul’s “New wake date” was Nov. 15.
“Iron Mike” also posted a picture of himself with the caption “homicidal” with the fight just 16 days away.
While he has been training hard for this fight, Tyson hasn’t been punched in the face at full strength during a professional boxing match since 2005, when he quit on the stool while fighting Kevin McBride.
The sad farewell to the boxing ring was followed 15 years later by an exhibition bout against Roy Jones Jr., where there were unclear rules for the match.
No knockouts were expected in the fight, any cuts that occurred would result in the end of the fight and it was listed as a draw.
Those restrictions don’t exist against Paul, who is 31 years Tyson’s junior.
“I don’t do anything if I don’t risk being embarrassed,” Tyson said in the Netflix clip. “Like now I want to fight this young motherf–ker.”
