Tickets for Mike Tyson’s fight with Jake Paul come in at a steep $10,000 for a ringside seat to watch the former heavyweight champion.
The November 15 clash at AT&T Stadium, rescheduled from the summer, sees Tyson attempting to defeat a YouTuber 31 years his junior. Tyson’s chances don’t look good as Paul has been knocking out handier fighters than an almost 60-year-old boxing legend.
Unless a no-knockout scenario between the pair is agreed upon pre-fight, the consensus is that a YouTuber will knock Tyson out for a third straight professional stoppage loss. If you want to be close enough to hear those punches land, you’ll have to fork out five figures for the privilege.
Prices in the bleachers start at as little as eighty bucks as Paul and Tyson attempt to break attendance records on the promise of an exciting fight.
The reality is that in his last two fights as a pro, Tyson was put on the canvas by Danny Williams and Kevin McBride. It’s hard to see how ‘The Baddest Man on the Planet’ has improved in the two decades since. In contrast to Tyson, Paul has been active and winning, which will be invaluable to the ex-Disney child actor in the current climate.
Whether Tyson fears being humbled again, this time in front of 70,000 fans in Texas, is up for debate. However, looking at the two combatants, it’s hard to see how the youngest heavyweight ever avoids Paul’s haymakers.
Does Mike Tyson fear losing?
Speaking of fear, Tyson talked about how he plans to combat that niggling in his mind in a recent interview with tennis star Nick Kyrgios.
“Well, it’s all about your relationship with fear. If fear’s your master, your whole life is miserable. You might as well not even live. But if it’s your friend, it’ll help you succeed in life. It will help you because you’re afraid.
“You’ll reach your higher potential and even play with, over your highest potential because of that fear of losing, that fear of being humiliated, that fear of people laughing at you. That excels you to be better than what you actually are. You’d be surprised at how many people are great because of shame.”
Tyson has always been a ruthless competitor, but Father Time catches up with everyone. Despite videos showing his explosive power remains over a burst of a few seconds, an eight-round exhibition with Roy Jones Jr. in 2020 was evident enough that Tyson has nothing left in the tank.
The pair hugged and puffed through the Triller event, tarred afterward by Tyson and Jones complaining about payment conditions.
If Paul manages to take Tyson out in November, the influencer wants to be recognized as a fully-fledged professional contender. However, Tyson’s popularity among the masses, even today’s youth, will guarantee that won’t happen.
Paul is far more likely to receive negativity for beating an older fighter than kudos for his achievement.
The views expressed in this article are the opinions of Phil Jay. Learn more, read all articles from the experienced boxing writer, and follow on Twitter @PhilJWBN.
