Former heavyweight champion Mike Tyson wasn’t the first-choice opponent for a July 20 clash on Netflix against a YouTuber.
Controversial wannabe boxer Jake Paul selected Tyson after Tommy Fury rejected a lucrative offer for a rematch. It’s unknown whether Tyson received the same financial terms as Fury, but the only man to beat Paul in the ring was not on board.
This gave Paul a headache for what had to be an event that caught the imagination of the boxing fans and the social media generation. Tyson is one of the only boxers on the planet who retains that kind of respect, even in his advanced years.
So when the call came in and the numbers were crunched, Tyson decided to dust off the gloves at 57. By the time he enters the ring against 27-year-old Paul, he’ll be 58. Evander Holyfield was the same age when Vitor Belfort took him out in one round.
The punch resistance isn’t there approaching your sixties, which is a big fear to fans of “The Baddest Man on the Planet.”
Considering Tyson stated he’d lost his passion for the sport, it’s a massive step for the ex-undisputed ruler to accept an offer for this kind of sideshow event.
One considerable boxing figurehead believes the fight should not face so much animosity.
World Boxing Council President Mauricio Sulaiman says the Exhibition/Fight between Mike Tyson and Jake Paul at the AT&T Stadium, Arlington, Texas, on July 20 will be entertaining and exciting.
By the time they touch gloves and exchange leather, hell for leather, Mike will have celebrated his fifty-eighth birthday on June 30. At the same time, Jake will still be twenty-seven.
Mauricio says: “I’m sure Mike is going about this responsibility. He’s in very good shape. Mike Tyson is one of the greatest, iconic, and legendary champions. Jake Paul has come into boxing, and we must thank him and embrace him for bringing millions of young eyeballs to our sport.
“It’s a fight and an actual event. No one can undoubtedly say Jake Paul will win because he’s young. No one can say Mike Tyson will win because he’s a legend, so it’s interesting.
“I only pray it will be done with all the medicals, that everything is done with huge care, and that it will be a great event. They will prepare fully for this.”
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