The Mike Tyson vs. Jake Paul which was initially predicted to be an exhibition bout, has now been upgraded to a professional fight under the auspice of the Texas Boxing Commission. Amidst the growing anticipation, Roy Jones Jr. who thought he had “made a mistake” when he agreed to fight Tyson in an exhibition bout in November 2020, also came forth to provide his verdict on what the fight may look like come July 20.
In a video shared by IBA – Boxing on social media today, Roy Jones Jr. revealed the only way ‘The Problem Child’ can win the fight. Jones Jr. said, “It’s very intriguing how it may turn out because Jake Paul has gotten a lot better as a boxer over the days.” However, ‘Captain Hook’ cautioned Paul about overlooking Tyson’s power because of his age. He claimed, “Mike Tyson, even at 57, 58, however old he is, he [is] still Mike Tyson. When I boxed him in [2020], he [was] still punching like Mike Tyson.”
The former champion from Pensacola even seemed confident that if Tyson connected a clean shot to Paul’s chin, there was no way Paul would be able to withstand the sheer power behind Mike’s punch. Jones Jr. revealed the perfect game plan for ‘The Problem Child,’ and said, “If Jake stays away from him for four or five rounds, then Jake has a chance.”
In 2020, Tyson stepped into the ring after 15 years, when he fought against Jones Jr. They fought to a draw with eight two-minute rounds. However, a few months before the fight, the 55-year-old boxer felt that he made a mistake in agreeing to fight Tyson. In an interview with Skysports, Jones Jr. said, “He’s still Mike Tyson. He’s still one of the strongest, most explosive people who ever touched a boxing ring. If anything, I made a mistake going in with him. He’s the bigger guy, he’s the explosive guy. He’s going to have all the first-round fireworks, not me.”
‘Captain Hook’ further added, “I do have first-round fireworks, but he’s known for more first-round fireworks than anybody to ever touch boxing, other than maybe George Foreman. With him having the first-round fireworks, he’ll be against a guy smaller than him, maybe 40-50 pounds smaller than him.”
Similarly, now Jones highlighted that Paul would have to do a lot of maneuvering to follow this plan and win the fight. While Jones Jr. has approved of the fight despite the 30-plus-year age gap, concerns have arisen due to a doctor’s warning to Tyson.
Mike Tyson is in danger if he fights Paul
After the fight was officially confirmed earlier this month, fans and pundits cautioned Tyson about the potential health concerns. This was escalated when an old clip of Tyson from 2022 surfaced online where he was spotted using a cane to walk. A statement from Stephen Hughes, Senior Lecturer in Medicine at Anglia Ruskin University, highlighted the concerning reality of the fight. “In older people, the brain tends to lose volume. This lengthens the bridging veins and makes them more vulnerable to rupture. Alcoholism is known to accelerate brain shrinkage, and it appears that Tyson has this as a past risk factor,” wrote Hughes.
However, Mike Tyson hasn’t been bothered by such reports. Instead, he took to X and shared a short clip of his training sessions along with a message to his opponent, “You still wanna f*** with me? #PaulTyson.”
You still wanna f*** with me?#PaulTyson pic.twitter.com/CqdKF4zFBJ
— Mike Tyson (@MikeTyson) March 16, 2024
Who do you think will win this most anticipated bout? Let us know in the comments below.
