DALLAS — Jake Paul and Mike Tyson squared off in a press conference at Texas Live! back in July, which is just a hop, skip and jump away from the venue where they'll fight in the ring: AT&T Stadium.
The press conference was full of drama and contentious – especially between Paul and the fans in attendance. The July 20 fight then got postponed after Tyson had a medical emergency on a flight where he had an ulcer flare-up. Now, with the fight just days away from its Nov. 15 rescheduled date, the two met again in Dallas for a pre-fight press conference, which was just as entertaining as the first time.
Jake Paul on what goes through his mind when he thinks of vintage Mike: “Yeah, it's cute. I fear no man. So I want him to be that old savage Mike. He says he's going to kill me. I'm ready. I want that killer. I want the hardest match possible Friday night, and I want there to be no excuses from everyone at home when I knock him out.”
Jake Paul on what Paul vs. Tyson being a professional fight means to boxing: “Well, the people speak for themselves. I don't even have to ask them. [This is the] biggest live gate in US boxing history outside of Las Vegas. Numbers don't lie. People want to see this and that's an amazing accomplishment. Credit to Katie Taylor and Amanda Serrano and Mike and everyone on the card as well. [...] We all did this together, and this is a statement that we had the biggest live gate outside of Vegas in US boxing history.”
Jake Paul on Mike’s claims that he’s a natural-born killer and Jake is a manufactured killer: “Whatever he wants to think. Everyone's entitled to their opinion, but the deadliest weapon on the planet is manufactured and that's a nuke.”
Jake Paul on whether there’s any chance the fight goes to a decision: “No, someone's getting put to sleep. It's going to be a war and we're both heavy hitters. It's not going the full 16 minutes.”
Jake Paul on his critics: “I'm blessed to be in the position I am, to be highly criticized. That just means I'm doing something right. No one has had a boxing career like mine. It'll be studied and judged, but I've risen to the top in four years because I've taken risks. I was the underdog all the way up until Nate Robinson and that's something that people don't remember [and] don't give any credit to, but I put it on the line against some of the best in the sport every single time. That's why I'm here on Netflix against the biggest name in boxing right now.”
Jake Paul on if he thinks Mike will bite his ear: “I'm not getting my shit bit off on Friday night, so I got my diamond spiked ear covers right there.”
Mike Tyson on being back in the ring at 58 and his epic comeback: “I'm just ready to fight. I've said everything I had to say. There's nothing else to say. I'm just looking forward to fighting.”
Mike Tyson on what he would lose if he loses the fight: “I'm not going to lose.”
Mike Tyson on what Cus D’Amato would think of him fighting Jake Paul: “He'd be very happy.”
Mike Tyson on Shu Shu Carrington quoting his famous “my style is impetuous…” quote: “Yes, he is very eloquent, but that day I was off my meds.”
Mike Tyson on if he has anything nice to say about Jake: [Silence]
Katie Taylor on what it’ll take to end the talk that Amanda deserved to win at Madison Square Garden: “I believe that I won the last fight clearly and I'm just got to go in there Friday night and beat her again. I put my body through the trenches over the last few months and it’s an absolute privilege to be here on the same card as a legend in the sport. It's absolutely an amazing opportunity that we both have, and I just can't wait to step in there and showcase what I can do again and get another win.
Katie Taylor on what the fight means for girls and young women around the world: “The greatest part about this journey is just being able to inspire and impact the next generation of female fighters. When I started boxing as a nine or ten years old, there [were] no female fighters at all in the boxing gyms in Ireland. But every single boxing gym I walk into now is packed with female fighters… that's what legacy is all about, really. I think what me and Amanda have done over these last few years, inspiring that generation of young fighters, is the best thing we could leave behind in this sport. An absolute privilege.”
Katie Taylor on Amanda seeming to have the upper hand in the 5th round of their first meeting: “I think for every single fighter, we're always prepared for moments like that. That's why we train so hard. When you're in shape, when you're fit, you recover so well from those moments. And I take a lot of reassurance and a lot of confidence from that because I took her biggest shots and [...] I wasn't moved. I won the second half of that fight. So I take a lot of reassurance going into the rematch because of that.”
Amanda Serrano on what the fight means for girls and young women around the world: “Legacy is very important, but my goal is to motivate and inspire these young girls, the new generation in this sport, that you can do anything you put your mind to. If you believe in yourself, have a great team, you can go far… When I say how much I make, it's not bragging, it's to show these women that we can make it. We are capable of making it. We are capable of breaking records and just strive for excellence and you will achieve it.”
Amanda Serrano on the pressure she faces: "The pressure's always there when you’re trying to be [the] face of a sport, but I feel like I'm not just the face. There's a lot of us that come together. We made history together. I made history multiple times and I just have to go out there and make sure that I perform like I did the last time.”
Amanda Serrano on what she’s bringing to the ring on Friday, November 15: “Listen, I'm going to do what I do best and come to fight.”
Amanda Serrano on going up three divisions to face Katie Taylor at super lightweight: “A lot of people don't acknowledge I am going up through three divisions being the unified featherweight champion. It's always hard for me and uncomfortable when I have to leave my weight class where I feel comfortable at. [I’ve had] to eat a lot more protein, a lot more carbs just to make sure that I feel good at the weight. I'm hoping that I can make at least the 138 tomorrow, but it is what it is. I'm chasing greatness and that's going up three divisions to face Katie Taylor once again, and I will be victorious.”