Mike Tyson’s fight with Jake Paul could be over in one minute, predicts the man who oversaw the heavyweight legend’s last few professional bouts.
Jeff Fenech, an Australian boxing star in his own right, trained Tyson to defeats against Danny Williams and Kevin McBride in 2004 and 2005. Tyson hopes to avoid a third straight loss in a sanctioned bout when he takes on YouTuber Jake Paul.
Despite concerns over Tyson’s health and his ability to fight at 58, Fenech isn’t worried and says Tyson could end the fight quickly if he follows instructions.
“I do not doubt if Mike takes it easy and doesn’t try to punch at the same time [he will win]. If he makes Jake Paul miss, Mike will knock him out in a couple of rounds – one hundred percent,” Fenech told Wide World of Sports.
“I spoke to Mike. I told him what I felt. Hopefully, he’ll listen to me. We said the same thing anyway. If he does what he said, then I have no doubt he will knock him out. He’ll have no problem.”
Jeff Fenech predicts Mike Tyson fight
Fenech, who has suffered from health problems of his own as Tyson did with his stomach ulcer that delayed the fight for months, says he is worried about his old protege.
“We were talking about my health and that [on the phone]. I’m not worried about my health; don’t get me wrong, I am, but I’m more worried about him. I hope he does the right thing to beat Jake Paul.
“If Mike lands one clean punch, and if he makes him miss, he will make him pay. If he doesn’t try and strike at the same time and is patient, the fight could be over in one minute.”
Tyson has once again courted controversy in his latest TV appearance after telling Jimmy Kimmel that he may still be smoking cannabis.
“I’m going to be so high off life, yeah,” Tyson said on Jimmy Kimmel Live. “That’s a possibility, too,” he added about whether he will still be using the products he sells.
On fighting on Netflix as he approached his sixties, Tyson added, “I want to change biology. I want to change the way people think about age. People think that as you get older, you become weaker and less physically active at a high level. It’s all psychological.”
“If you believe you feel bad, and you feel old – then you feel bad and old. If you believe you feel great, you feel great. It’s all about what we see about ourselves.”
Paul remains the favorite to win as Tyson attempts to fight off Father Time on November 15 in Texas.
Read all articles and exclusive interviews by Phil Jay. Learn more about the author, experienced boxing writer, and World Boxing News Editor since 2010. Follow on Twitter @PhilJWBN.
