There’s already a lot of backlash to the upcoming boxing event between the former heavyweight champ Mike Tyson and YouTube creator Jake Paul.
The two will be in a ring with one another on July 20, headlining a show Netflix will stream live.
Heavy asked an event organizer on March 7 whether the match is an official one or if it is an exhibition, however, we never received a reply.
Whatever it is labeled as, there are numerous people in the combat sports industry who are unimpressed.
“You canât lose to a 60-year-old man and you also canât beat a 60-year-old man,” the former UFC fighter Matt Brown told The Fighter vs. The Writer podcast on MMA Fighting.
Brown added that “it’s a lose-lose” situation if you’re Paul, who has built a notable pro boxing record of 9 wins (6 KOs) against one loss.
He’s also surprised Tyson even agreed to the bout. “I don’t know what Mike is thinking here,” said Brown.
“What makes him want to do it. I donât think heâs hurting for money. I donât think he has a huge urge to fight. He talks about it all the time. He doesnât want to be that guy no more. Itâs very odd that heâs taking the fight. Thatâs the odd part to me.”
Finishing, Brown said: “What I hope for ⦠is that Mike Tyson has that young, 20-year-old rage, gets on some [expletive] steroids, does some trim, some cheque drops, and he goes in there and bites [expletive] Jake Paulâs ear, and knocks him the [expletive] out and Jake Paul never wants to box an old man again.”
UFC Boss Dana White is Unamused
Speaking to reporters after the conclusion of UFC 299 in Miami, UFC boss Dana White also sounded like he couldn’t think of many things worse than seeing his friend, Tyson, share a ring with someone 30 years younger than him in Paul, 27.
“He gets mad when I do this, but Mikeâs 60, man,” said White. “I donât know, what do you guys think about it? Who gives a [expletive] what I think? Itâs not my fight.”
White continued: “I love Mike Tyson personally as a friend, and heâs one of my favorite athletes of all time.
“Letâs see what he can go in there and put together a training camp and come in. I donât like to see guys fighting at [that age] ⦠you guys know what I think of that stuff.”
‘It Absolutely Sucks,’ ex-UFC Champ Dan Cormier Says
Though Tyson participated in an exhibition bout involving Roy Jones Jr. in 2020, he hasn’t fought in a legitimate boxing contest since 2005 when Kevin McBride â a fighter he would have swatted aside in his prime â retired him in the sixth round.
For UFC commentator and former two-weight UFC champion Dan Cormier, “it absolutely sucks” to see Tyson return in this way.
On The Good Guy & Bad Guy podcast, Cormier said: “Mike is a different person now.”
He added: “I saw Mike walk into the UFC last year with a walking stick. Â I don’t know how they pull this off.”
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