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MIke Tyson is not a nice guy, and he is not at peace. Those are his words. The words of a former world heavyweight champion. The words of a ruthless warrior who was once (fairly) declared the ‘worst man in the world’. The words of a fighter who chewed a chunk out of an opponent’s ear. The words of a father, husband, podcaster and convicted criminal.

There was a time when Mike Tyson was a simple being – forty years ago perhaps. The boxer was so purely violent and destructive that he was arguably as one-dimensional as he was single-minded. Nowadays things are more complicated. For a long time he was a real enigma.

The American, who still holds the record as the youngest ever world heavyweight boxing champion, is now older. The 58-year-old served his time in prison – from 1992 to 1995 after being convicted of rape, plus nine months in 1999 for assaulting two motorists – and served his suspension for biting Evander Holyfield’s ear . Despite his troubling past, Tyson is loved by many boxing fans for the memories he gave them during his prime; he is cherished for the sense of wonder he hammered through their TV screens and into their living rooms with vicious, relentless attacks in the 1980s and 1990s. Punches that changed the lives of Tyson’s opponents and audience in several ways.

When you watched Tyson, it may have been like staring at a fire up close and finding yourself absorbed by the flames. Of course you wouldn’t want to touch them, but their power speaks of something primal. Mike Tyson spoke to something primal in other people. So it feels like there was always an urge to forgive him for his mistakes: the immoral and criminal ones. In many ways he is a changed man. In other cases maybe not. There has been a desire to do that for some time to see at least he had changed.

And yet. “There’s nothing nice about me,” he tells him The independent and other publications via Zoom, two weeks before his fight with YouTuber Jake Paul – one of the most controversial boxing matches in years. “I’m not a nice person. I am one reasonable person, I try to do the right thing. But I’m not a nice person. Anyone who thinks I’m a nice person will be disappointed. It’s just not me. I make people happy for a reason, I just am who I am. I’m not trying to make friends, that’s kind of what I mean. I don’t want to be friends with you, I don’t care if you put me on your yacht, I don’t care. I will never be nice to anyone; I will be kind, but never kind.”

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I ask about the difference between being ‘nice’ and ‘nice’. He answers with that familiar lisp. “I think being a nice guy means looking for friends and going out of your way to make someone happy. I’m not going to go out of my way to kiss someone’s ass so they can have a great day. I’m just not that guy. Virtually neglecting yourself for someone else’s happiness is not something I’m going to do.

In his eyes, Tyson is nice but not nice. Anyway, he’s polite. He regularly checks whether you have understood him. “Does that even make sense?” he will ask. “You understand that now, don’t you?”

But if Tyson isn’t neglecting himself, why is he still not at peace?

Again, he wants to make sure you’re on the same page as him. ‘Tell me, what is peace? What is the definition of peace? So I can really answer the question well.”

“Satisfaction,” answers the journalist in question.

“I’m never satisfied, so I guess I’m not at peace. No, no…”

“But is it better than it was?”

“Absolutely. I have more responsibilities, my life is more… I don’t know… more practical than before. Having children, having a wife, having chores, having things to do!” Tyson laughs. “When I was champion, I had nothing of substance to do. Party, drink, women, talk. There was no substance then.”

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No fabric, just fabrics. And to a twenty-year-old Tyson, that might not have seemed like a bad thing. But for the older Tyson, the singular substance is more important than the plural.

That seems to be why he’s back in boxing, 19 years after his last professional fight, and four years after his win over Roy Jones Jr. It appears to be the reason he is facing a 27-year-old opponent, five months after an in-flight health scare that delayed the fight. And yes, Tyson’s fight with Paul is an officially sanctioned professional bout, lasting eight two-minute rounds at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas, on November 15. The fight will be broadcast live on Netflix, in an unprecedented fashion, and knockouts will be allowed.

Fans are divided. Those of a certain generation who remember Tyson at his best are convinced he will abuse a Disney Channel actor turned YouTuber-boxer. Those of a younger generation, who notice Paul’s lesser skill but have seen him beat youthful UFC fighters before Tyson, are playing devil’s advocate. Then there are those who recognize the pair’s friendship and suspect the fight will be an exhibition in all but name.

“I’ve been through some spiritual experiences and things in my life have changed for the better, so I’m ready to anticipate getting involved in the fight again,” Tyson said. ‘Maybe it touches…maybe it touches my childhood. Maybe it has something to do with my childhood. This money from this fight will not change my lifestyle or life one percent, I will always be able to live this way; I could use a penny just like everyone else, but it’s not for financial reasons. I only do it because I want to test myself.

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“No matter how old I am, this guy only has eleven fights. If I can only fight a little bit, with my experience… if I can only fight 10 percent of what I was, he can’t match that. That is being sincere. I’m going to beat him. I know what I can do, I’ve seen what he’s capable of, and I’m not intimidated or afraid of him.”

Paul is 10-1 (7 KOs), his only defeat coming on points against Tommy Fury in early 2023. That night in Saudi Arabia, Tyson Fury’s half-brother won in one of the biggest matches crossover boxing has ever seen. Paul vs Tyson will top that, for better or worse.

“Boxing has changed a lot, and I’m changing it even more by doing this fight,” said Tyson (50-6, 44 KOs, if you were wondering). “I am also part of boxing. If you think about it, without being selfish, who else can do this? Think about it, go ahead. I’m not trying to jerk myself off, but who else could do this? No one, huh?”

No matter how you look at it, there is indeed no one quite like Mike Tyson.

Jake Paul vs Mike Tyson will stream live exclusively on Netflix on Friday, November 15.