Mike Tyson appears to be taking his comeback fight against Jake Paul very seriously after posting footage of an ‘explosive’ workout ahead of their summer clash.
Tyson, 57, and Paul, 27, shocked the boxing world earlier this month when they announced they will be fighting each other in Texas on July 20, with streaming giant Netflix set to televise the bout.
The two-time heavyweight champion retired from professional boxing in 2005, and has only had one exhibition fight against Roy Jones Jr since, but has now agreed to take on ex-YouTuber Paul.
The fight is still four months away, but Tyson has already started his training camp and shared clips of himself smashing the pads last week as he sent out a warning to Paul.
He has now posted a new clip on Instagram that shows him smashing a large medicine ball into the floor repeatedly.
Mike Tyson has posted footage of himself slamming a medicine ball into the floor to work on his explosive power
He repeated the exercise for just over 30 seconds to develop his cardio as well
The 57-year-old Tyson is due to return to the ring this summer to fight Jake Paul (pictured)
Tyson provided a caption beneath the video that read: ‘Back to it. Round after round. High exercises like this are a solid form of cardio.’
He added: ‘I love these medball slams because of the explosive aspect. These transfer well into boxing, because in boxing you have to be able to throw fast and quick KNOCKOUT punches.’
Tyson was famed for his stunning knockout power during his career – with 44 of his 50 wins coming inside the distance – and he looks to be trying to rediscover that to down Paul.
But concerns have been raised about whether Tyson will still have the necessary stamina in his late fifties if the fight goes into the latter rounds, and he did appear to be breathing heavily while also looking a little unsteady on his legs at times during the 33-second clip.
Tyson’s shock return has received a mixed reaction from the boxing community as he prepares to take on someone 30 years his junior.
Concerns have been raised about Tyson’s return, but he appears to be in his best shape in years
British promoter Eddie Hearn believes Tyson fighting again is ‘really sad’, while UFC president Dana White slammed Paul for taking the fight and claimed he would target 93-year-old Clint Eastwood next.
However, WBC heavyweight champion Tyson Fury insists the fight is ‘fantastic for boxing’, with both men set for major paydays, and Tyson’s trainer has dismissed fears that his charge could get seriously hurt as he makes his comeback after a lengthy lay-off.
‘Iron Mike’ has previously been wheelchair-bound due to sciatica and had to overcome a cocaine addiction after hanging up his gloves nearly two decades ago, but he now appears to be in his best condition for a number of years.
It is just a matter of months until fans find out whether that will be enough to get the better of Paul.