Mike Tyson faces a sanctioning struggle in his bid to face Jake Paul in a full professional bout. At 58, it’s unlikely Tyson will be able to face Paul in anything other than an exhibition.
The Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation faces a dilemma about what to do in this situation. Tyson hasn’t fought in the state since beating up Eddie Richardson in 77 seconds. That was almost 40 years ago, in 1985.
But after what happened to Evander Holyfield against Vitor Belfort, the sport of boxing doesn’t want another aging fighter put in any danger whatsoever. Holyfield was smashed by Belfort in one round and looked miles away from boxing fitness and resistance at the same age Tyson will be when he shares the ring with 27-year-old Paul.
Not to say Tyson cannot handle himself, but in a professional capacity, going permanently on his record wouldn’t be a good thing. Luckily for Holyfield, this is the case with the Belfort loss with his C.V.
Each time he glances at his achievements, Holyfield won’t have a reminder of the time he came out of retirement on a whim and got wiped out in one round.
Mike Tyson fighting at 58
Even though he is in great shape for his age, Tyson isn’t going to hold the same punch resistance against someone 31 years his junior. Against Roy Jones Jr. in 2020, when the pair sold over 1.5 million PPVs, their power canceled out as they spent most of the time hugging.
Jones did say every shot from Tyson in his post-fight interview. However, they were few and far between. Paul will probably take some advice from his brother, though. He fought Floyd Mayweather and largely spent time using a similar tactic to Jones and Tyson. Therefore, fans can rest easy about Tyson being humiliated as Holyfield did.
The big question is Texas and how they deal with the event.
As Nevada Hall of Fame founder Rich Marotta pointed out, it’s not just Tyson’s age that’s the problem.
“Not to be Mr. Buzzkill or anything, but it seems strangely overlooked that Mike Tyson was knocked out back-to-back in the last two of his pro career. Knocked out by average at best fighters, and that was about twenty years ago,” he said.
Promoter Eddie Hearn stated: “I’m a hardcore boxing fan. I find it very sad. He is 58 years old.”
Cannabis use
Tyson’s form aside, his love for cannabis will also have to be taken into consideration for the fight. As Keyshawn Davis found out recently, Texas has a strong stance on the practice for boxers.
Davis saw his fight with Jose Pedraza called off when flagged for the drug. He subsequently served a three-month suspension.
Comments on how that plays out were fully valid, given Tyson his own line of products and a massive ranch.
One said: “Who is going to tell Tyson about Texas and their stance on marijuana?”
Another added: “So if Texas suspended Keyshawn Davis because of marijuana, what are they going to make of Mike Tyson’s cannabis use?”
Uncovering what Texas makes of the fight will be interesting when terms are finalized in the coming weeks.
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