Mike Tyson left after just 30 seconds when he decided to watch Jake Paul spar. 

That is according to legendary trainer Freddie Roach. Paul and Tyson have agreed to face each other in a historic bout that will see Netflix air a boxing match for the first time. The contest takes place from the AT&T Stadium, Texas, on July 20. Paul has managed to get his Most Valuable Promotions (MVP) on board to work with Netflix to set up an incredible event.

Tyson may be 58, but he has shown that he is still as popular as ever. His last bout was an exhibition against Roy Jones Jr. Despite both fighters being past their prime, they still generated a huge audience. The fight did over a million PPVs. There is a feeling that Paul vs Tyson could break records, given the potential for it to reach crossover fans. 

However, it has generated criticism for the following reasons. First, there is a perception that Paul is reneging on his recent promise to fight better opposition. Since his loss to Tommy Fury, Paul decided to face more pro boxers. He rebuilt his confidence with a unanimous decision win against Nate Diaz. That was then followed up by first-round stoppages against Andre August and Ryan Bourland. Both men are professional boxers, even if they are not the biggest names. 

Paul vs Tyson

“It’s crazy to think that in my second pro fight, I went viral for knocking out Nate Robinson on Mike Tyson’s undercard. Now, less than four years later, I’m stepping up to face Tyson myself to see if I have what it takes to beat one of boxing’s most notorious fighters and biggest icons. Within just two and a half years of founding MVP, we’re about to produce the biggest fight in history,” Paul said

Secondly, there are concerns that Tyson could do himself harm. After facing Roy Jones Jr., Tyson clarified that it was a tough fight. He spoke about how his body felt the strain of entering the ring again. Since Paul is taking boxing seriously, this could backfire. Yet, looking back, Tyson admits he did not push himself in the Jones fight. 

“I felt better than I anticipated. I thought I would be a little more nervous than I was, but I was relaxed. [And] I felt like ‘wow’ – I could do some more. [And] I could punch more combinations, I could do this and do that. I said ‘wow, this is interesting’ and I want to do it again and I want to do it against someone I could go all out on. It made me interested in wanting to do it again. I wanted to go the distance, I didn’t want to knock anybody out, that’s what people expected, but I wanted to go the distance,” Tyson stated 

But based on what Tyson saw of Paul, their fight may not live up to the hype. 

Roach Reacts

“Tyson looked at him and left. He saw 30 seconds of him sparring and said, ‘Freddie, can we go down and see the pictures?’. He knows that’s where the good pictures are. [And] he wasn’t as interested as I was,” Roach stated