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MTyson is not a nice guy and he has no peace. These are his words. The words of a former heavyweight world champion. The words of a brutal fighter who was once (rightly) called “the baddest man on the planet.” The words of a fighter who has chewed a piece 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 creature – perhaps 40 years ago. 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 mystery.

The American, who still holds the record as boxing's youngest world heavyweight champion, is older now. 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 ban for biting Evander Holyfield's ear. Despite his troubling and troubled past, Tyson is loved by many boxing fans for the memories he gave them during his heyday; He is valued for the sense of wonder he drilled through their television screens and into their living rooms with vicious, merciless blows in the '80s and '90s. Punches that changed the lives of Tyson's opponents and audience in different ways.

Watching Tyson back then was perhaps like staring into the fire up close and being engulfed by the flames. Of course you don't want to touch them, but their power speaks of something primal. Mike Tyson spoke to something primal in other people. It feels like there was always a pull to forgive him for his mistakes: the immoral and criminal. In many ways he is a changed man. Maybe not in others. The desire to do this has existed for a long time see at least he was changed.

And yet. “There’s nothing nice about me,” he says in conversation The Independent and other releases 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 a respectable Man, I'm trying 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 don't make people happy for no reason, I just am who I am. I'm not trying to make friends, that's basically what I'm saying. I don't want to be friends with you, I don't care if you put me on your yacht, I don't give a shit. I will never be nice to anyone; I will be kind, but never nice.”

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I ask about the difference between “nice” and “nice.” He answers with that familiar lisp. “I think being a nice guy means looking for friends and doing whatever it takes to make someone happy. I won't go out of my way to kiss someone's ass so they can have a great day. I'm just not that guy. Pretty much neglecting yourself for the happiness of others is not something I’m going to do.”

In his eyes, Tyson is nice, but not nice. In any case, he is 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? That way I can really answer the question correctly.”

“Satisfaction,” replies 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… I don't know… more practical than before. Having kids, having a wife, having responsibilities, having things to do!” Tyson laughs. “When I was a champion, I had nothing of substance to do. There was no substance back then.

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No substance, just substances. And for a 20-year-old Tyson, that might not have seemed like a bad thing. But for the elder Tyson, the singular substance is more important than the plural.

That seems to be the reason why he is boxing again, 19 years after his last professional fight and four years after his appearance with Roy Jones Jr. That seems to be the reason why he is five months after a serious injury against a 27-year-old opponent health scare mid-flight that delayed the fight. And yes, Tyson's fight against Paul is an officially sanctioned professional fight, scheduled for eight two-minute rounds on November 15 at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas. In an unprecedented move, the fight will be broadcast live on Netflix and knockouts will be allowed.

The fans are divided. Those of a certain generation who fondly remember Tyson at his best are convinced he will brutalize a Disney Channel actor-turned-YouTube-turned-boxer. Those of a younger generation who notice Paul's inferior skills but have seen him knock out former UFC fighters younger than Tyson are playing devil's advocate. Then there are those who acknowledge the couple's friendship and suspect that the fight will be an exhibition in all but name.

“I've had some spiritual experiences and things in my life have changed for the better, so I'm ready to expect to get back into the fight,” Tyson says. “Maybe… maybe it touches on my childhood. Maybe it has something to do with my childhood. The money from this fight will not change my lifestyle or my life in the slightest, I will always be able to live like this; I could use a dollar like everyone else, but it's not for financial reasons. I'm just doing it because I want to test myself.

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“No matter how old I am, this guy only has 11 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 compete with that. That is sincerity. I will beat him. I know what I can do, I’ve seen what he’s capable of and I’m not afraid of him.”

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

“Boxing has changed tremendously, and this fight makes me change it even more,” says Tyson (50-6, 44 KOs, in case you were wondering). “I’m also part of boxing’s transition. When you think about not being selfish, who else can do that? Just think about it, keep going. I'm not trying to jerk off, but who else could? Nobody, right?”

In fact, no matter how you look at it, there is no one like Mike Tyson.

Jake Paul vs. Mike Tyson will be broadcast live exclusively on Netflix on Friday, November 15th.