Mike Tyson has battled a series of health issues in recent years - but at 57, is still set for a sensational return to boxing with Jake Paul fight

• e-mail

Boxing legend Mike Tyson is set to push through a career of injuries to face Jake Paul in Dallas live on Netflix. 

It marks a sensational return to the ring for 'Iron Mike', who will be 58 by the time he comes up against the 27-year-old YouTuber-turned-boxer, after he sparked fears for his health only 18 months ago. 

Drug problems, combined with his never-say-die attitude within the ring that saw him go toe-to-toe with some of the most notable heavyweights of his era, have left many fearing for the long-term health of the boxing great.

Tyson himself has previously inferred on his own Hotboxin' podcast that he did not believe he had long left to live.

'We’re all gonna die one day of course. Then, when I look in the mirror, I see those little spots on my face,' he said.

Boxing legend Mike Tyson sparked concerns for his health just over 18 months ago 

'Iron Mike' will now fight Jake Paul at the AT&T Stadium in Dallas later this year

It marks a sensational return to the ring for 'Iron Mike', who will be 58 by the time of the bout 

'I say, "Wow. That means my expiration date is coming close, really soon."'

Concerns for the boxing great’s health were heightened in August 2022 when photos showed Tyson wheelchair-bound while also clutching a walking stick in an airport terminal.

A month on, Tyson revealed that he suffered with sciatica - a condition where the nerve which runs from your lower back to your feet, is irritated or compressed - as he sought to clarify the speculation surrounding his wellbeing.

'I have sciatica every now and then, it flares up. When it flares up, I can’t even talk! Thank God it’s the only health problem I have. I’m splendid now,' he said.

'Everybody in my house is truly blessed and we’re all very grateful for whatever we have.'

The condition, which usually lasts from four to six weeks, impacts nerve endings in the body with Tyson appearing to be suffering with complications related to his back.

Iron Mike, as he was known, was forced to retire from the ring in 2005 owing to back problems.

In 2002, after losing to Lennox Lewis, Tyson blurted out: 'I broke my back, my back is broken. Spinal!'

In August 2022, photos showed Tyson wheelchair-bound while also clutching a walking stick 

In 2002, after losing to Lennox Lewis (left), Tyson claimed that he had broken his back 

He clarified his viral moment in 2020, telling Compubox TV: 'Well listen right, I have a bad back and since all of the work that I've put over the years, the spine in my back just starts shifting.'

He also revealed to rapper Angie Martinez during an episode of his Hotboxin’ podcast, that he has a ‘cage’ in his spine.

His wife, Lakiha, clarified that he had two vertebrae removed from his body and titanium rods inserted.

Yet, in 2021 Tyson overcame his back issues to step into the ring for an exhibition against former multi-weight division title-winner Roy Jones Jr. The WBC unofficially called the bout a draw.

Throughout his sporadic retirement, Tyson has opened up about past drug use, which he said centered on cocaine, but also included the venom from a poisonous toad that he said actually left him legally dead for a brief moment.

'In my trips I've seen that death is beautiful,' Tyson told the New York Post. 'Life and death both have to be beautiful, but death has a bad rep. The toad has taught me that I'm not going to be here forever. There's an expiration date.

'I did it as a dare,' Tyson said of ingesting the psychedelic. 'I was doing heavy drugs like cocaine, so why not? It's another dimension. Before I did the toad, I was a wreck. The toughest opponent I ever faced was myself. I had low self-esteem. People with big egos often have low self-esteem. We use our ego to subsidize that. The toad strips the ego.'

Netflix released a teaser clip showing Paul and Tyson squaring up to announce the fight 

Tyson battled depression and a borderline personality disorder, which he was diagnosed with in 1998.

'His personal history is marked by significant psychological and physical trauma, as well as a belief that he has been betrayed by individuals close to him,' read his 1998 diagnosis. 'This has caused Mr. Tyson to have significant problems with trust, as he fears being betrayed. In addition, he struggles with low self-esteem.'

His first wife, Robin Givens, who accused him of domestic abuse, said that Tyson was a ‘manic depressive’ during a 1988 interview with Barbara Walters.

Yet, despite a string of previous health issues and a thirty-year age gap with his latest opponent, Tyson is still planning to step into the ring once again when he faces Paul.