Former WBO Heavyweight Champion Shannon Briggs has shared his views on why longtime friend Mike Tyson looked a shadow of his former self against Jake Paul last month. ‘Iron Mike’ landed just 18 punches in the eight-round bout last month – and failed to find the target with a single shot in several rounds.

Tyson looked so far short of his fearsome best that conspiracy theories quickly began to surface on social media suggesting that the heavyweight legend had pulled his punches against the 27-year-old YouTuber ‘to make sure he got paid’.

Having both grown up in the Brownsville neighbourhood of east Brooklyn, New York, Briggs and Tyson are close pals. The pair even returned to their old stomping ground earlier this year to have a playful ‘brawl’ on the street – much to the delight of fans who were looking on.

Speaking exclusively to GIVEMESPORT, Briggs revealed his own theory on why Tyson didn’t appear to be fully committing to his punches against ‘The Problem Child’ – and he doesn’t believe his pal was deliberately going easy on Paul.

Shannon Briggs Explains Why Mike Tyson Threw So Few Punches Against Jake Paul

Tyson struggled in his first professional bout for nearly two decades

‘The Cannon’ was full of praise for Tyson’s willingness to take on a man more than 30 years his junior in front of a worldwide audience. However, Briggs suggested that – despite getting into great shape for the bout – Mike simply didn’t have the physical ability to produce the ferocious blows that made him an icon in his prime.

“I kinda thought that way at first [Mike was holding back]. But, as time went on, I saw reality for what it was in that he was past his best. He did phenomenal for a 58-year-old man. Earlier in his life, he kinda abused his body with drugs and alcohol. Usually, with a style where you’re a puncher [like Tyson], you need to have really solid legs. As an older man, maybe the strength wasn’t there.”

Tyson’s bout with Paul had to be pushed back nearly four months after the former unified heavyweight champion suffered a mid-air medical emergency as a result of stomach ulcers. Once he was recovered, though, Tyson honoured his commitment to go through with the fight – something that Briggs has great admiration for.

“He [Tyson] is still a great fighter and proved that at 58 years old, he was able to climb back in that ring. Age is really just a number. Imagine [what he could have done] if he’d been training longer and lived a healthier lifestyle.”

Mike Tyson & Jake Paul’s pro records (as of 15/12/24)

Mike Tyson
Jake Paul

Fights
59
12

Wins
50
11

Losses
7
1

No Contests
2
0

Briggs now runs the Brownsville Gym & Academy – a project which has been a lifelong dream for him since spending a period of his childhood homeless in the area. The school sets itself apart from many other training facilities by offering a full education in the sport of boxing.

“I love the fact that I’m pursuing something that I dreamed of as a child, which was to open up the Brownsville Boxing Academy. You can learn to be everything within the sport; a referee, a manager, a cutman or cutwoman, a judge or sportscaster.”

GIVEMESPORT’s Key Statistic: Shannon Briggs won the WBO heavyweight title by knocking out Siarhei Liakhovich in the 12th round in November 2006.

Despite the wide range of roles that he helps others to access through his school, though, Briggs still craves the chance to lace up the gloves again. He hasn’t fought since 2016, but has taken great inspiration from Tyson’s recent return to the ring.

“I’m 53 years old and I’m still ticking. Who knows what’s next? It [Brownsville Academy] gives me the chance to get back in shape myself. There’s rumours that Wladimir Klitschko is coming back. I’d love to knock him out!”

Although he’s not competed professionally for more than eight years, Briggs has won his last nine professional contests, with seven of those victories coming in the first round. As Briggs himself mentioned, “anything is possible” in an era where Mike Tyson can come out of retirement at 58 years old. ‘The Canon’ may yet get the fight with Klitschko that he has been chasing for more than a decade.