Ex-trainer Brad Rowe has no issue with Mike Tyson’s running form or physical shape ahead of his boxing match with Jake Paul.
“Mike is a unicorn,” he told USA Today Sports. “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 helped Tyson prepare for his fight with Roy Jones Jr. in 2020, where he feared Tyson might tear a hamstring during the build-up to the fight.
“Day 1 he’s like, ‘No, f–k you. I’m sprinting,’ ” Rowe recalled. “So I was like, ‘All right. Let’s pray for no injuries today.’’’
He continued telling a story of Tyson’s training in 2020.
“We’d go to this tennis court and he would like jog around the corners and sprint the straightaways and I’d be, like, I didn’t want him doing it,’’ Rowe said. “Because especially with someone older, an athlete like that that’s not used to that explosive moment.’’
Tyson went viral for a video that showed him gingerly sprinting and grunting while running in preparation for his fight with Paul.
The former heavyweight champion is preparing for a competitive boxing match on July 20, although the rules have not yet been solidified.
Prior to this, it seems Tyson has been primarily focused on enjoying cannabis and controlling his lofty ego, which was considerable during his early years under the tutelage of his famed trainer, Cus D’Amato.
In an exclusive interview with The Post in 2022, Tyson explained that shady business dealings in boxing surrounded his issue with the sport.
“The problem with boxing is everything is never on the table,” Tyson exclaimed as he slammed his hands onto the table. “There’s s–t always under the table. Until we get rid of that problem, boxing will always be a mess, and only the elites will make money.”
Tyson is now set to do business with Paul, which is an interesting twist considering his past comments about boxing
He looks to get into as good a shape as possible to fight Paul with just three months left to prepare.
Much more than Paul’s earlier opponents, where ex-MMA fighter Ben Askren looked badly out of shape, and NBA player Nate Robinson was brutally KO’d in Paul’s debut, coincidentally taking place on the Jones-Tyson undercard.
