The world of boxing currently has its senses piqued by the rather intriguing matchup between YouTuber turned boxer Jake Paul (9-1, 6 KOs) and the ‘Baddest Man on The Planet’ Mike Tyson (50-6-2, 44 KOs). Meanwhile, many prominent names from the combat sports community have voiced their concerns about this showdown taking place at the AT&T Stadium in Arlington on July 20, 2024. Former boxer Tony Bellew (30-3-1, 20 KOs) recently shared his thoughts on why this fight is a worrisome affair.
A factor that many had highlighted was the glaring age difference between the duo. The formidable ‘Iron’ Mike Tyson will be 58 when he steps inside the ring, while Paul will be 27.
“I am worried about it personally, but listen, you don’t know what’s been agreed between the two. It’s frightening that Mike Tyson is going back into a boxing ring against somebody who is more than 30 years younger than him. It’s just a bit nut,” Bellew said, addressing the same in an interview.
He further mentioned that he hoped that the fight would be scripted and added that he did not wish to see Tyson get hurt in any way. “Let’s see what happens. He is going to be getting paid an awful lot of money, and nobody has the right to stop him from doing that,” Bellew said.
“Still Mike Tyson”
While Bellew might be worried about Tyson’s well-being, his former opponent Roy Jones Jr (66-10, 47 KOs) believes Tyson’s skillset is enough to alleviate any concern. Moreover, he even claimed that Tyson vs Paul might not even be an exhibition fight like the boxing community thought.
“The Jake Paul Mike Tyson fight is not an exhibition; I’ve heard it’s been upgraded to a fight. If it’s a fight, it’s very intriguing how it may turn out because Jake Paul has gotten a lot better as a boxer over the days, but Mike Tyson, even at 58 or however old he is, is still Mike Tyson,” he said in an interview.
Jones fought Tyson in an exhibition fight in 2020. Talking about the fight, he mentioned that ‘Iron’ Mike Tyson had no qualms about moving and hitting like he was in his prime.
“If Mike comes out and does what Mike normally does, then it’s going to be a tough situation for Jake. If Jake can stay away from him for four or five rounds, then Jake has a chance, but he’s going to have to do a lot of maneuvering to stay away from him,” he said.
More must-reads: