According to Lennox Lewis, Mike Tyson (50-6-2, 44 KOs) can handle himself against Jake Paul (10-1, 7 KOs).
‘The Baddest Man on the Planet’ is gearing up to go head-to-head against the ‘Problem Child’ at the AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas, on November 15. The showdown has been a bone of contention in the world of boxing ever since it was announced. While Tyson has his share of doubters, mostly owing to his age, his former rival Lewis, wasted no time in backing him up.
Lewis defended his WBC, IBF, IBO, and The Ring heavyweight titles against Tyson at the Pyramid in Memphis in 2002. He went on to win the fight via an 8th-round KO.
“It’s hard to box when you’re that old, moving around the ring, throwing punches, getting punches thrown at you, but I think he can handle it. I was thinking that Jake Paul was going to be in trouble, because Mike Tyson knows how to throw great body punches, great head shots,” he said while talking to Sky Sports.
Lewis further mentioned that he expects to see Tyson cutting off the ring and throwing head and body punching when he catches up to Paul. “I’m sure Jake Paul will be moving fast, moving around the ring. He’s not going to want to stand there and get hit by Mike Tyson! I’ll be there, and it’s going to be exciting,” he said.
The fight has undoubtedly been a controversial affair, with many names in the boxing fraternity openly opposing it. In fact, boxer Denzel Bentley even felt that Tyson might be ruining his legacy by taking up the Paul fight.
“We saw him make a comeback against Roy Jones Jr, and he couldn’t hurt him, so what makes you think he will hurt Jake Paul?” he said while talking to TalkSport. “All he will do is damage his record and legacy as one of our heroes. I won’t be watching it to be honest.”
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