Mike Tyson will have a tale to tell on November 15, but it may not be the one he wants to be remembered for as a professional.
The youngest-ever heavyweight champion faces YouTuber Jake Paul at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas, on a Friday night, aiming to knock the wannabe boxer out. Tyson will pocket $20 million, whatever the result, as Paul used his powers of persuasion to get the ‘Baddest Man on the Planet’ to risk his reputation for a Netflix event.
Predictions are rife for a KO either way, although history is not on Mike Tyson’s side.
Two boxers who fought at the same age as Tyson, 58, in the past three years lasted a combined 156 seconds. Tyson’s old foe Evander Holyfield went 109 seconds with Vitor Belfort in 2021, while Scot England managed just 47 seconds when becoming the oldest welterweight fighter of all time in 2023.
Despite Tyson looking good in training, fans are worried smokescreens remain at play to make it look as though the veteran has a chance against a 27-year-old puncher. For this reason, World Boxing News understands the usual media workout may not occur before the event.
There’s also the not-so-small matter of the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulations. The TDLR has allowed Tyson to gain a professional license, which has been valid from May 2024. That’s despite Tyson suffering a stomach flare-up on a Miami flight weeks after granting the 1980s icon’s request.
As WBN revealed exclusively, Tyson will not be monitored until the day before the fight and is not obligated to prove anything to the TDLR until then. Even if something gets flagged, it’s doubtful the event will be scrapped at that stage.
In a nutshell, Tyson is licensed and sanctioned to compete as is when almost sixty years old. To many, it’s a shocking situation that should be allowed to stand on the two-time top-division ruler’s record.
If Paul wipes Tyson out in the first round, as would be the trend, having that kind of loss on his permanent CV would irk many bonafide boxing fans for the foreseeable future. It’s hoped that Tyson will see sense and make the event an exhibition, which could ultimately rule out knockouts and save Tyson from a prediction loss.
Paul has power, if not possessing the boxing skills needed to compete with the top hundred boxers in the world, but that undoubtedly would be enough to end Tyson early due to a lack of mobility and punch resistance.
Time is running out to save Tyson from the inevitable.
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.
