Mike Tyson posted a training clip this week as the former heavyweight champion continues to push through with a November 15 comeback.
At 58, Tyson hopes to share the ring with YouTuber Jake Paul despite being miles and miles over the hill and on the path to a certain third straight knockout.
World Boxing News has long predicted the fight won’t go ahead, and Tyson will either withdraw or be forced to alter the rules due to ill health. This prediction was only reinforced further when Tyson released his latest 12-second social media offering.
Tyson went through a labored workout cut to include his latest promotional deal with LFGO! He either seemed disinterested or was struggling to go through the motions. It could also be that Tyson has three months left and merely wants to promote the brand for monetary purposes, but the whole debacle doesn’t look good for sales or excitement.
Paul looked at his old MMA fighter-bashing best when beating Mike Perry recently. If you compare Perry, who got beaten up and stopped by Paul, to Tyson – there’s not really any comparison. Perry was younger, in better shape, and more mobile than Tyson will ever be as he approaches sixty years old. Therefore, the signs are not favorable.
‘Iron’ Mike, if serious about defeating Paul, may have a few seconds per round to take Paul out – and that’s only if the power still remains at even 80 percent. For the rest of the rounds, and he probably only has around three in him, Tyson will have to tie Paul up and survive.
Mike Tyson vs Jake Paul could be a struggle
The Netflix event is highly unlikely to go down the way many excitable fans, especially Paul’s followers, think the fight will unfold. It promises to be a much more sluggish affair, with Tyson struggling from the off.
If Paul is serious about knocking Mike Tyson out, it will only be a matter of time before the influencer catches Tyson, hurts him, and makes the corner intervene. If anything, the best Paul can hope for is a TKO, as nobody in Tyson’s corner will want to see the aged heavyweight legend knocked out cold.
Building a solid undercard was vital to keeping any shade away from the main event. At the same time, Netflix made a wise move to agree to the Paul vs. Tyson deal in an off-pay-per-view capacity.
Putting the Texas card on free-to-air for subscribers seems to be a masterstroke. That decision removes any humiliation from poor PPV sales and allows ticket prices to stay low to sell the 70,000 AT&T Stadium out.
If it goes ahead and isn’t replaced by Paul vs. Tommy Fury II at the last minute, the Tyson return will be a spectacle for many while it lasts.
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.
