Other Boxers Fear Jake Paul Might Knock Mike Tyson Out

By Andrew Sanford | Celebrity | May 13, 2024 |

By Andrew Sanford | Celebrity | May 13, 2024 |

Mike Tyson is 57-years-old. Despite still being in great physical shape, things don’t get easier as you age. Quite the opposite! Stairs, running, not saying embarrassing things at family dinners, all that becomes harder with age. It’s natural. We are not made to last forever, and some things should be avoided as the years go on. Boxing a 27-year-old should be pretty high on the list of “don’ts.”

Regardless, that is what Mike Tyson is set to do on July 20th. The former world heavyweight champion will fight YouTuber Jake Paul in a match televised on Netflix. It will be a sanctioned, professional fight. While the two could still end up hugging for an hour and going home with a huge payday, former champion Deontay Wilder sees a different possibility.

Deadline reports that Wilder spoke to Sportsbook Review and did not mince words. “I don’t want the last thing I remember of him is him getting knocked out by a YouTuber,” the former champ said. “The last thing you do, that’s what people remember you by.” He’s not wrong. Tyson hasn’t had a professional fight in almost twenty years. A whole generation hardly knows him as a boxer. A loss to Paul could color his legacy, which is already spotty to say the absolute least. To that end, Tyson and Paul may have more in common than boxing.

There are also health concerns. Wilder voiced concerns that Tyson should not even be cleared to fight. “I think it’s bad the commission has licensed Mike Tyson because he hasn’t been active in 20 years, so they should not just license him because of who he is, that’s how people get hurt - God forbid he gets hurt,” warned Wilder. At the end of the day, this is Tyson’s decision, but he could use more dissenting voices like Wilder’s in his corner.

It’s easier to get hurt when you’re older. That ease doubles when you’re boxing, a sport that can do serious damage to anyone at any age. “People can get hit in the wrong place and at the wrong time, there’s lots of examples where guys have been hit into a coma. It’s easy to do. He’s too old for this,” Wilder claimed. “At the end of the day, no one gives a f*** about Mike.”

Tyson has posted videos of his training regimen for the fight. He’s working hard, but Wilder still has reservations. “His power may not have left completely, but you still need to set it up, your stamina needs to be a certain way, or it’s going to look like a clown show,” the champ said. “I don’t want to see it to be honest.” Wilder may not want to watch the fight, but plenty of people will. Is it ill-advised? Absolutely. Will people still clamor for this next Netflix live event? You bet.