Mike Tyson’s only chance of avoiding a knockout at the hands of a younger, fresher YouTuber, Jake Paul, will be on the negotiating table.
“The Baddest Man on the Planet,” agreeing to face a 27-year-old who can punch when two years off his sixties, is undoubtedly not worth any amount of money. Therefore, for Mike to take that kind of risk at his age, something would have to be put in the contract to stop Paul from being allowed to go full throttle.
Tyson was knocked out in his last two professional fights nineteen and twenty years ago, respectively. Anyone believing Tyson is still the force he was after two decades only has to look at his 2020 exhibition with Roy Jones Jr. to see that’s far from the case. At 54, Tyson and Jones, who was two years his junior, plodded around the ring for ten rounds of mostly clinching and hitting without any real devastating force.
Paul would undoubtedly have seen the footage of Tyson vs. Jones, knowing that if ‘Iron’ Mike accepted his challenge without stipulation, he’d have a very good chance of becoming the sixth man to stop the youngest-ever heavyweight champion.
The consensus, judging only from the short bursts of footage Tyson puts out, is that the retired legend has a round or two to finish the job. Beyond that, it’s hard to see how Tyson can last the pace against a boxer who has hardly taken a serious punch his entire career. Paul has a puncher’s reputation due to his cherry-picking of opponents susceptible to a KO – Tyson included.
On the other side of his fifties, when he fought Jones Jr., that possibly would have been the time for Tyson to take this kind of offer. At least then, the likeliness was that he could go the complete ten rounds. But as witnessed when Evander Holyfield returned at 58, older boxers cannot take punches and do not have the mobility to get around the ring.
Mike is in a serious predicament, that’s if he gets licensed or passes the relevant tests. Does he really want to be ridiculed by an influencer when not at full capacity to do anything about it? That’s the most significant question of all. If both legal teams have signed off on the fight, which is just an out-and-out fight with no stipulations added – like no knockouts, there’s a genuine possibility Mike Tyson will be hitting the canvas live on Netflix on July 20.
There’s a lot that can happen between now and then. Tyson may think again, or the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulations could step in. Spokesperson Tela Mange has already told WBN that they will subject Tyson to the rigorous tests all boxers go through before being sanctioned, whether for an exhibition or a pro contest.
Millions of pounds will come in handy for Tyson, who has had financial troubles in the past. Will it all be worth it once the dust settles?
Surely, something will be in place to ensure Tyson isn’t humiliated.
The views expressed in this article are the opinions of Phil Jay. Learn more and read all articles from the experienced boxing writer.
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