Mike Tyson is facing losing his third-straight professional defeat at the hands of a YouTuber, and it’s no secret why that feat is a possibility.
The fact is, Tyson has been over the hill for the past twenty years, leading to previous defeats to Kevin McBride and Danny Williams. Influencer Jake Paul aims to become the third man on that list as he battles the former ‘Baddest Man on the Planet’ towards the end of the year.
Paul admits Tyson’s age of 58 and approaching pension age is the main reason he chose to offer the ex-undisputed champion a fight. The former Disney child star says the 31-year difference is crucial to his chance of putting ‘Iron’ Mike on the canvas.
“This guy has been doing this his whole entire life. He’s a natural-born killer. This is what he loves, and maybe this is what he needs. So, the age is a thing, but I believe it’s the equalizer because he has more experience. However, I have the youth and the speed, maybe, to be able to put him down,” he told The Pat McAfee Show.
On whether the fight will go ahead due to Tyson having a potentially life-threatening stomach ulcer, Paul added, “We aren’t Mike Tyson’s dad. We don’t control Mike Tyson. He’s his own boss. If he wants to go in there and make tens of millions of dollars and potentially end my run, then who are we to stop him?”
Tyson was forced to delay the Netflix event for four months due to the ulcer, which flared up on a flight from Miami to Florida. As World Boxing News pointed out many times, if Tyson takes a punch in the stomach, the ulcer could perforate and need emergency surgery.
In addition, Paul saved the initial July 20 date after Tyson dropped out. He now faces Mike Perry in what many see as another opportunity to beat an aged non-boxer.
“We wanted to keep the event alive [for them], and Mike Perry instantly was the first name that popped up,” he told the Monday Night Raw commentator.
“I was like, ‘Yeah, he’s amazing. He’s like a Mike [Tyson] appetizer.’ [Perry’s] violent, comes forward, scary, doesn’t give a frig, and he doesn’t care. I would like that same attitude he has, and it’s a good warm-up for Mike Tyson.
“I was nervous going into the Mike Tyson fight because of how scary he is and how much more experience he has, so any more experience I can get under my belt, the better,” he concluded.
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.
