Mike Tyson faces a backlash from the boxing community if he allows a YouTuber to beat one of the most talked-about heavyweights of the modern era.
“The Baddest Man on the Planet” accepted an offer from Jake Paul to face him on July 20 after Tommy Fury rejected a rematch. Paul hopes to stop waning interest in his boxing career following a knockout of Ryan Bourland in Puerto Rico.
Tyson has already begun his ritual of sending out ten-second videos to secure interest in the event. Meanwhile, Paul has been recreating old Tyson photos and getting a fake face tattoo for his gimmick.
Knowledgable boxing fans know exactly what the Tyson vs Paul event represents despite being an off-PPV affair. A deal with Netflix ensures the bout will be one of the most watched fights in recent memory.
However, Tyson isn’t fooling anyone at 58, especially after old rival Evander Holyfield’s dismal effort against Vitor Belfort at the same age. The only assumption for the whole debacle is that Tyson and Paul have an arrangement for a WWE-style scripted outcome.
According to former world champion and The Contender star Ishe Smith, Tyson has to have his hands raised at the end of the charade.
“Mike Tyson had serious issues with dedication to the sport throughout his career when he was on top of the world. Now at damn near 60, we are supposed to believe he’s fully dedicated to the sport, although he smokes weed every single day. He’s cashing a check, and I ain’t mad, but,” said Smith.
“His workout videos are hilarious. Not for nothing, but if he loses to Jake Paul, and it’s a real sanctioned fight, his legacy is forever tainted.”
Asked if he thought Tyson and Paul would be a move around, Smith replied: “I don’t think it’s going to be an exhibition.”
Kermit Cintron waded in with his view that Tyson vs Paul won’t be a full-blooded fight.
“You know Tyson is not even going to try hurting Jake Paul. He will make Jake Paul look like a God that no one in the history of boxing has done before.”
Details of the rules remain sketchy as Paul’s company holds back on making an official announcement while the sport digests the notion of the encounter.
He knows many will tune in to see if Tyson can knock him out, and plenty of others will be watching and praying that the former champ makes it a wipeout. The ploy is textbook marketing by Paul in the mold of how Floyd Mayweather used to operate.
Furthermore, Tyson being the second choice should be a red flag to anyone. If Fury had accepted the offer, Mike would be happily left to his own devices.
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