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    • Mike Tyson, at 58, faces risks beyond his loss to Jake Paul
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    Mike Tyson, at 58, faces risks beyond his loss to Jake Paul

    Umito Posted on

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    Editor’s note: Follow Mike Tyson vs Jake Paul fight live updates and highlights.

    ARLINGTON, Texas — Mike Tyson will face a man not even half his age on Friday. Although there are risks every time a boxer steps into the ring, experts have considered how Tyson’s age could play a role in the decision. highly anticipated Netflix Fight.

    At 58, the former world heavyweight champion will become one of the oldest boxers to compete in a sanctioned professional fight. Not to mention he’ll be boxing against a man less than half his age – 27-year-old Jake Paul.

    “You’re as old as you feel,” Tyson said, in an attempt to dismiss the problem.

    But on May 26, he suffered what his representatives called an “ulcer flare-up” during a flight from Miami to Los Angeles. This required medical attention, a hospital visit and led to the fight being postponed for four months. The chorus of concerns about the health risks Tyson could face is growing even louder as the heavyweight fight to be held at AT&T Stadium approaches.

    Stephen Hughes, a lecturer in medicine at Anglia Riskin University in England, was one of the first to raise the issue.

    Citing Tyson’s age and past alcohol abuse as risk factors, Hughes wrote in an article published by “The Conversation” in May that head trauma would put the boxer at greater risk of suffering a Subdural hematoma, potentially fatal.

    A subdural hematoma occurs “when a blood vessel near the surface of the brain bursts,” according to Harvard Health, which also reports that a subdural hematoma is a “life-threatening problem because it can compress the brain.”

    In addressing the additional risks for Tyson, Hughes referenced the late Muhammad Ali. The legendary boxer suffered for many years from Parkinson’s disease, widely believed to be linked to the head trauma Ali suffered during his famous career.

    “In some cases, a condition resembling Parkinson’s disease can result from a loss of neurons in a part of the brain called the substantia nigra,” Hughes wrote. “Muhammad Ali may have been affected by this, but this has never been confirmed.”

    Age and ability to respond quickly to punches

    Damon Zavala, vice president of the Association of Ring Physicians, said he believes a subdural hematoma poses a risk for boxers, regardless of age.

    But with Tyson, Zavala said, “The problem is his reflexes and his ability to react and evade punches have diminished over the years. So even though he still has his own power, he will still be at greater risk of being hit because he won’t be able to escape the punches.

    At 58 years old, Evander Holyfield looked chiseled when he stepped into the ring in 2021 for a fight against Vitor Belfort, a 44-year-old mixed martial arts fighter. Holyfield, the former heavyweight champion who beat Tyson twice, was knocked out in the first round.

    Zavala said George Foreman talked about having slower reflexes when he came out of retirement in his mid-40s.

    “He said he would consider throwing a punch, but it would take a little time for that to happen,” said Zavala, who is trained in internal medicine. “So the reflexes, both defensive and offensive, are not the same.”

    NOTICE: The Mike Tyson vs. Jake Paul fight represents the circus that is America

    MORE: Mike Tyson slaps Jake Paul at weigh-in before Friday fight: ‘It’s personal now’

    Nevertheless, Foreman won the unified world heavyweight championship in 1995 at the age of 45 by knocking out then-26-year-old Michael Moorer.

    John Neidecker, former president of the Association of Ringside Physicians, said he thinks concerns about Tyson’s health are muted among ringside doctors because of the skepticism around the fight. He also said that he viewed Paul as an entertainer as much as a boxer and was therefore reluctant to address the health risks.

    “There’s a lot going on here and I think that’s why a lot of people don’t really like to shout from the rooftops that this fight shouldn’t happen with a 58-year-old man,” he said. he declared.

    Mike Tyson underwent additional medical examinations before the fight

    The Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation oversees combat sports in the state, and fighters 36 or older are subject to additional medical screening.

    As a fighter over the age of 36, Tyson was required to submit favorable EEG and EKG results as part of his application, according to Tela Mange. He did so in May, Mange said.

    TDLR said Thursday that Tyson underwent a pre-fight medical exam earlier in the day. In a statement, TDLR added: “The safety of competitors competing in the ring or cage is always the primary concern of TDLR staff. This competition is no different.”

    Boxing promoter Lou DiBella is furious with the TDLR’s decision to allow a professional fight for a 58-year-old.

    “A regular guy has to jump through hoops to get a license to fight in many states at age 40,” DiBella said. “How In the state of Texas is a 58 year old allowed to fight in a professional fight? »

    The TDLR declined to comment further on the issue of fight approval.

    In 2018, Jack Lucious was 64 years old when he fought a sanctioned professional bout in Texas, according to BoxRec, the sport’s official registry. Lucious lost by TKO in the first round of a scheduled four-round welterweight fight.

    Bryce Holden, the promoter of the fight, requested a sanctioned fight instead of an exhibition. But the rules of combat are more commonly used for exhibitions.

    At the request of the promoter, TDLR agreed to two-minute rounds rather than the standard three-minute rounds, which is widely seen as a concession to Tyson’s age. The TDLR also agreed to the use of 14 ounce gloves rather than standard 10 ounce gloves.

    “It will take the pain away a little,” Nico Ali Walsh, Muhammad Ali’s grandson and professional boxer, said of the heavier gloves. “And I think the size of the gloves is just there as a precaution, since Mike is older than the people who fight professionally. He shouldn’t fight with professional-sized gloves.

    “I don’t think any sanctioning body would allow the fight to happen with Mike if it was 10-ounce gloves and three-minute rounds.”

    Mike Tyson’s Past Health Issues

    When talking about age, Tyson likes to reference Julius Caesar. He points out that before the Julian calendar was named in honor of Caesar, the age was not indicated as it is today.

    In other words, at the time, Tyson was ageless.

    But the ulcer outbreak indicates health problems.

    “I went to the bathroom and vomited blood,” Tyson told Netflix for a documentary-style series leading up to the fight. “The next thing I know, I’m on the floor.” The source of the trauma was a 2½-inch bleeding ulcer, according to Tyson, who conducted the interview from a hospital room.

    Health issues are nothing new for Tyson in recent years. In August 2022, he was spotted at Miami International Airport in a wheelchair. Tyson said he suffered debilitating back pain from sciatica and later underwent surgery that eliminated the pain.

    While preparing for the Paul fight, Tyson once remarked that he had difficulty walking due to his rigorous training.

    Safety didn’t seem to be a concern when, in front of the cameras, he told Netflix about his fight with Paul: “If I do it wrong, I don’t want to die in a hospital bed, I want to die in the ring.” .”

    Follow Josh Peter on social media @joshlpeter11

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