Embattled boxer offers to replace Mike Tyson in bout against Jake Paul following medical scare
Boxing great Mike Tyson suffered a health scare on a flight over the weekend, raising concerns about the status of this summer’s heavily anticipated match up against the sport’s newest sensation, Jake Paul.
The news prompted embattled boxer Ryan Garcia to offer himself as a potential replacement, despite recent calls for him to quit the sport after he tested positive for performance-enhancing drugs in his fight against Devin Haney.
News broke on Monday that Tyson was recovering after the 58-year-old suffered nausea and dizziness on a flight from Miami to Los Angeles just a day before.
According to a statement from his reps, the incident was "due to an ulcer flare up 30 minutes before landing."
"Thankfully Mr. Tyson is doing great," the statement, via The Associated Press, read. "He is appreciative to the medical staff that were there to help him."
In addition to concern about Tyson’s health, there was also concern about how the incident would impact the July 20 fight between Tyson and Paul. The bout, which is a sanctioned fight by the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulations, will take place at the 80,000-seat home of the Dallas Cowboys and will be streamed live on Netflix.
Questions about the status of the fight prompted Garcia to reach out to Paul on social media and offer himself as a potential replacement.
"If you down to fight, if Mike can’t do it, let me know I will fill in," Garcia said in a direct message to Paul, which he shared in a screenshot to X on Monday.
However, Paul quickly dispelled any concern on social media with his own statement.
"You love to make s--- up before knowing the facts for clicks / likes," he said in a post on X. "Nothing changed."
Garcia’s offer comes amid backlash the 25-year-old boxer faces from the boxing community after he tested positive for a banned substance following his fight against Devin Haney last month.
The fight, which was set to be a battle for the WBC super lightweight title before Garcia missed weight, ended in a majority-decision victory for him on April 20. However, ESPN later reported that he tested positive for the performance-enhancing substance Ostarine the day before and the day of the fight, citing a Voluntary Anti-Doping Association letter.
A B-sample also later returned an adverse finding for the banned substance, the outlet reported. Garcia and his team have staunchly denied any wrongdoing and the issue remains under review by the New York State Athletic Commission.
Haney’s father, Bill, made a plea last week to "get him out of the sport."
"It's a terrible thing. It's a terrible thing for sports in general. It's a terrible thing for boxing," he told TMZ Sports. In a since-deleted post on X, even UFC legend Conor McGregor called for a "lifetime ban."
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