Jake Paul is one of the biggest names in professional boxing right now, whom many people feel single-handedly helped rejuvenate the world of professional boxing in many ways. This is because no matter who he faces, he always manages to get people talking one way or the other.
Jake Paul is now set to square off against his biggest opponent yet, as he will be facing off against the legendary Mike Tyson in a boxing match later this year. Unsurprisingly, quite a few top fighters have given their thoughts on the upcoming bout.
Jake Paul vs. Mike Tyson Is An Incredibly Polarising Match
It was recently announced that Mike Tyson will face off against YouTube personality Jake Paul. Paul, whose professional record stands at 9-1 following a first-round win over Ryan Bourland in Puerto Rico on March 2, is set to take on the boxing legend.
The highly anticipated event is scheduled to be streamed exclusively on Netflix on Saturday, July 20, 2024, from the iconic 80,000-seat AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas. The stadium is renowned as the home of the NFL’s Dallas Cowboys.
The biggest reason the match is polarising is due to the fact that Mike Tyson is 57 years old and he is clearly not a good match for Jake Paul, who is much younger at the age of 27. What’s worse is the fact that Tyson is not even active as a boxer while Paul is clearly active and has no ring rust. Many people also feel that Paul is far too overrated, and has no business facing someone like Mike Tyson.
Top Fighters Also Shared Their Thoughts on The Upcoming Match
As noted above, the Jake Paul vs Mike Tyson boxing match is an incredibly polarising match and there are a lot of people who feel that fight shouldn’t happen and that includes some top fighters, some of whom we are now listing below.
1) Conor McGregor
In an interview, Conor McGregor shared his thoughts on the exhibition bout between Jake Paul and Mike Tyson during the world premiere of Road House, in which he has a starring role. McGregor admitted that he did not understand why the match was taking place in the first place.
Conor McGregor further added that the interest in such a matchup is low, but he gave his best wishes to Mike Tyson.
“Oh jeez. It’s a bit strange, you know. The interest is low. I don’t know. I don’t understand it. I wish well for Mike [Tyson].”
It is to be noted that Conor McGregor is not a fan of Jake Paul and the two have been at odds with each other over the past few years as well, so his comments are not unexpected.
2) Chuck Liddell
In his prime, Mike Tyson was revered as one of the most formidable boxers of his generation, boasting an impressive knockout record and earning the status of undisputed heavyweight champion during a time when there were only three recognized belts.
Despite concerns about Tyson’s physical condition, former UFC light heavyweight champion Chuck Liddell remains confident in the boxing legend’s ability to defeat Jake Paul. While speaking to TMZ, Liddell made it clear he believes Tyson still has the advantage.
“As soon as Tyson hits him, it’s over. The last thing to go is power. If he hits him, it’s over. If you’ve seen Mike, he still hits.”
Liddell then issued a chilling warning to Jake Paul, advising him to keep himself protected during the bout: “Hey Jake, keep covered up, man.” It is understandable why Liddell is supporting Tyson in the match.
3) Chael Sonnen
Fighter-turned-analyst Chael Sonnen recently reflected on former cruiserweight and heavyweight world champion boxer Evander Holyfield’s swift defeat against boxing newcomer and UFC veteran Vitor Belfort in September 2021 when talking about Jake Paul and Mike Tyson’s upcoming match in a conversation in the PBD podcast.
“Vitor Belfort, who has never boxed, put him away so fast. So, this [Holyfield] is an Olympic gold medalist you’re watching. Vitor, who has never done it [boxing], put him away so fast that it ended Vitor’s [boxing] career. They would not book him again. They labeled him like an elderly abuser. ‘How dare you? How could you do this?’ Vitor never got another fight … He [Paul] will get teased for taking this [Tyson] fight.”
Sonnen highlighted the substantial age gap between Holyfield and Belfort, suggesting that Belfort’s lack of significant boxing opportunities thereafter was due to perceptions of elder abuse in their match.
”I’m a hardcore boxing fan. He [Tyson] is one of my heroes. I find it very sad. But it’s a big event. I understand people are going to watch it. And it’s entertainment, I guess. But for someone that idolized the guy growing up, yeah, not the best day.”
Drawing a parallel, Sonnen speculated that Jake Paul might face similar criticism if he were to confront and defeat Mike Tyson.
4) Daniel Cormier
Former two-division UFC champion Daniel Cormier expressed his disapproval of the matchup between Mike Tyson and Jake Paul while speaking on The Good Guy & Bad Guy podcast.
“It absolutely sucks. While I love ‘Iron’ Mike, I want Mike to make as much money as he possibly can. That (training) video right there is about three or four years old. Mike is a different person now.”
Cormier recalled seeing Tyson enter the UFC arena last year with a walking stick, casting doubt on Tyson’s ability to compete at his former level. He questioned the feasibility of the fight and whether Tyson would be allowed to unleash his full power against Paul.
“Will they let Mike just hit him? If they let Mike just go at this dude and Mike just tried to get him out there in a few minutes, maybe it works. But I don’t know if they risk it with Mike trying to go at Jake Paul in that way,” Cormier added. “I think it absolutely sucks. I think Mike Tyson’s fighting days are over. He’ll be 58 years old by the time he steps in the ring with Jake Paul. To me, it absolutely sucks.”
Obviously, Daniel Cormier just wants Mike Tyson to come out of the match without any serious injury, and that is all that matters to him.
5) Michael Bisping
Michael Bisping, a former UFC champion, has a keen insight into Jake Paul’s tactics for his match against Mike Tyson. While speaking on his YouTube channel, Bispring expressed frustration with Paul’s approach, particularly his tendency to seek advantages in matchups.
He criticized Paul for calling out boxing greats like Canelo Alvarez after defeating opponents who were not professional boxers. Bisping highlighted Paul’s pattern of facing older opponents initially, including basketball players, wrestlers, and mixed martial artists.
“He talks about being one of the best ever. He just called out Canelo Alvarez after he beats up an Uber driver. Okay? This is what we’ve seen. It’s Jake Paul 101 all the way. He takes on older people initially, people that weren’t even boxers. Started with basketballers, then it was wrestlers, then it was mixed martial artists.”
While Bisping acknowledged Paul’s victory over Anderson Silva, he emphasized that it wasn’t against a prime version of Silva. Bisping also noted Paul’s loss to Tommy Fury and subsequent calls for fights against less experienced opponents.
“Fair play, he took on Anderson Silva, got the job done. Okay? I had respect for him for that. It wasn’t prime Anderson Silva, but it was still Anderson Silva that had won a couple of boxing matches. Then he loses to Tommy Fury. S—. Rethink everything. ‘Give me some washed up bums.’”
In Bisping’s view, Paul’s strategy of stacking the odds heavily in his favor before boasting about his accomplishments is unacceptable.
