Mike Tyson shares brutally honest reaction to viral "b*tt cheeks" incident on camera before Jake Paul fight: "It's a new time and era"

Mike Tyson has put forth his assessment of his viral "b*tt cheeks" incident that set the combat sports and broader pop culture realms abuzz last month. The boxing great suggested that the sports and entertainment industry has considerably changed.

The 58-year-old had retired from professional boxing after his final match in June 2005. He subsequently competed in exhibition boxing bouts, most recently against Roy Jones Jr. in Nov. 2020. 'Iron' made his pro boxing comeback against the 27-year-old YouTuber-cum-boxer Jake Paul on Nov. 15, 2024.

The pair were set to clash in July but the veteran fighter was afflicted by an ulcer flare-up in May, which is why their fight was postponed. They finally squared off last month, and Paul defeated Tyson via unanimous decision in the relatively low-output fight.

'El Gallo de Dorado' was widely criticized for fighting the boxing great who was 30-plus-years his senior and had suffered various health issues.

Moreover, Tyson's pre-fight backstage interview with his son Amir featured the boxer seemingly predicting a dominant performance. Tyson then kissed his son on the cheek and turned around, showing off some rather unconventional shorts that left his rear end almost completely uncovered. Fights fans and other netizens soon weighed in on the video and images that went viral.

Watch the incident below (*Age advisory: Viewer's discretion is advised):

During a recent appearance on COVINO & RICH for Fox Sports Radio, Mike Tyson was asked about having broken the internet with his "b*tt cheeks." Tyson addressed it by asserting:

"Hey, television has really changed, huh? When that became a big thing, and I - that's just so ridiculous."

On being asked if he expected that to become a story when the fight was over, 'Iron' replied:

"That's not important. I've looked - I've been that way my whole career. My b*tt's been showing off; took a picture of it."

When questioned about whether he feels it's better than ever, given the worldwide attention, Tyson said:

"Hey, man, I guess so. I don't know. It's a new time and era."

Check out Mike Tyson's comments below:

Watch Tyson's interview below (*comments at 0:28):

---

Mike Tyson receives business offers after viral "b*tt cheeks" moment, jokes about potential monetization

Some believe Mike Tyson, who later highlighted that he'd almost died earlier this year, is likely done with professional boxing. Others opine that his possible multi-million-dollar comeback can't be ruled out.

Meanwhile, the former undisputed heavyweight champion's viral 'b*tt cheeks' video subsequently elicited six-figure offers from an adult site and a club respectively, for him to don similar outfits in their presentations.

Furthermore, Tyson seems to be approaching his viral video by taking it in his stride. During his aforementioned conversation with Steve Covino and Rich Davis on Fox Sports Radio, he was asked about which moment from his legacy surprised him by becoming a well-remembered one.

'Iron' replied:

"Well, I think it's going to be the a** now ... I don't know."

Furthermore, Covino and Rich jestingly proposed that Mike Tyson, who's a prominent marijuana entrepreneur, ought to launch an edibles line titled, "Tyson's b*tt cheeks."

The combat sports megastar concurred with the idea. The trio even appeared to lightheartedly agree that the potential business venture could be monetized and fetch them financial benefits.