Mike Tyson shied away from pummelling Jake Paul in their Netflix fight because he didn’t want to “embarrass” the social media star, and Tyson’s “heart was not in it” to bring out the “animalistic” side of his personality to land heavy punches against Paul.

That insight comes from Tyson’s long term friend and actor entrepreneur Richie Palmer, who claims that seeing the ex champ train on bags proved to him that his physical punch power was strong.

Palmer, who dedicated a statue to pal Mike at his Vegas Mulberry Bush pizza store, also reflected on how Paul was a threat to the New Yorker brawler despite his lack of experience.

Palmer doubts Tyson will return to the ring again, but thinks he’ll likely work with Netflix in the future as a commentator. Speaking exclusively at the premiere of Chuck Zito: An American Story, Palmer gave his insight on his friend of over thirty years.

“Mike was at the point where he didn’t want to do any damage to the kid, because that’s how Mike is. I thought he’d probably want to just give him a good match, but I don’t think he’d want to hand this kid his ass and embarrass him.

He’s up and coming. Mike was being respectful. I don’t think we saw an animal inside him like when he was younger, but I’ve watched him hit the bag and my God, when he hits.”

Tyson and Paul ignited the interest for Netflix with their huge marketing campaign and exciting weigh in slap attack. Palmer explained: “I didn’t think his heart was into it -not that it was a setup or anything. I just thought his heart wasn’t into it.

I mean, they really hyped it up. They had all this animalistic confrontation and the pre-fight interviews, so everybody expected a battle

Mike Tyson shied away from pummelling Jake Paul in their Netflix fight because he didn’t want to “embarrass” the social media star, and Tyson’s “heart was not in it” to bring out the “animalistic” side of his personality to land heavy punches against Paul.

That insight comes from Tyson’s long term friend and actor entrepreneur Richie Palmer, who claims that seeing the ex champ train on bags proved to him that his physical punch power was strong.

Palmer, who dedicated a statue to pal Mike at his Vegas Mulberry Bush pizza store, also reflected on how Paul was a threat to the New Yorker brawler despite his lack of experience. Palmer doubts Tyson will return to the ring again, but thinks he’ll likely work with Netflix in the future as a commentator.

Speaking exclusively at the premiere of Chuck Zito: An American Story, Palmer gave his insight on his friend of over thirty years.

“Mike was at the point where he didn’t want to do any damage to the kid, because that’s how Mike is. I thought he’d probably want to just give him a good match, but I don’t think he’d want to hand this kid his ass and embarrass him. He’s up and coming.

Mike was being respectful. I don’t think we saw an animal inside him like when he was younger, but I’ve watched him hit the bag and my God, when he hits.”

Tyson and Paul ignited the interest for Netflix with their huge marketing campaign and exciting weigh in slap attack. Palmer explained: “I didn’t think his heart was into it -not that it was a setup or anything. I just thought his heart wasn’t into it.

I mean, they really hyped it up. They had all this animalistic confrontation and the pre-fight interviews, so everybody expected a battle