‘The Baddest Man on the Planet’ Mike Tyson is in unbelievable shape for his age, which leads to fears for his YouTuber opponent on July 20.
Tyson, 57, posted images of himself alongside a recovered Robert Duran this week, showing that both legends are doing great. Duran underwent surgery for a heart condition and is now out of the woods and looking tremendous.
As for Tyson, the former undisputed heavyweight champion continues to train for his fight with Jake Paul on Netflix. He looks ripped to shreds and in his best shape for some time. Tyson looks better than when he fought an exhibition against Roy Jones Jr. in 2020. On that occasion, Mike completed ten rounds with Jones as they worked out to a draw.
However, that event was just an exercise in reminiscing. His fight with Paul this summer already has both sides predicting a knockout finish. That scenario, of course, will be down to the Texas Commission to decide whether they will allow the pair to go to hell for leather.
Before the Jones fight, Tyson went against the Florida Commission’s order that neither man could go for the knockout. Tyson was 54, and Jones was 52, so it made perfect sense. By the time Tyson enters the ropes to battle Paul, he’ll be 58, so it’s doubtful that the Texas Department for Licensing and Regulation will take any stance other than what Florida did four years ago.
Paul will also face demands simply for the event to exist. The Texas Board is not going to allow a 58-year-old man, no matter what his history is, to be knocked out live on TV.
It happened once to Evander Holyfield, and there’s no way it can happen again. The furor over Tyson being in his best-ever condition should come with a massive warning. The Gods had chiseled Holyfield out of stone before he faced Vitor Belfort in 2021. However, what transpired over 109 harrowing seconds is a clear warning to Tyson, Paul, and the Texas Commission.
Holyfield was dropped in a matter of seconds. He was unsteady on his feet and looked well out of place. His years of inactivity and aging had caught up on him, and in reality, Holyfield was in grave danger for the amount of time the fight lasted.
Jake Paul is seventeen years younger than Belfort despite an evident gulf in fighting class between the influencer and the UFC star. But anyone who can through a vicious punch, as Paul has proven – no matter how dramatic the falls have been – will be able to hurt a man nearing his sixties. Tyson could train for ten hours a day, every day from now until the first bell, but there’s no compensating for Father Time, who won’t allow your body to do the things you want it to at that age.
Tyson being in shape, or as one fan said, ‘looking like a cruiserweight,’ works well for the build-up. It will bring in new subscribers, so once the bell goes the two combatants can basically do what they like. There’s no Pay Per View, there will surely be zero permission for knockouts and a re-run of Floyd Mayweather vs Logan Paul is about all anyone can expect.
The fad had long gone before Paul announced the Tyson fight. Measures are in place to prevent another Holyfield mess, which should never have happened.
Oscar De La Hoya’s pullout left Triller in a tough spot as the days counted down until fight night, leaving Holyfield as the considerable fall guy.
There’s no way Mike Tyson would ever put himself in the same situation.
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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