Bob Arum has seen it all in boxing during a career spanning almost sixty years and counting, but the return of Mike Tyson to face Jake Paul later this year may be something new.
Tyson, who hung up the gloves in 2005 after back-to-back defeats and an admitted loss of appetite for fighting, will face Paul, 30 years his junior, over eight two-minute rounds.
The bout has drawn considerable criticism due to the inactivity and health issues of ‘Iron’ Mike. He’s facing an active younger man who, despite being in an extremely different skill bracket, packs a strong punch.
Arum, who promoted some of Tyson’s bouts early in his career, spoke to Johnny Boy Boxing about the bout and gave the former undisputed heavyweight champion little to no chance.
“The answer is no [Tyson can’t beat Paul]. A 58 year old guy, no matter how good they were, no matter how athletic they were, are not gonna be able to fight. You can’t throw punches like you’re supposed to, you can’t do a lot of things. I hope Mike doesn’t get hurt, but I really give him relatively no chance … You lose that muscle memory as you get older.”
Following an initial postponement due to an ulcer flare-up on Tyson’s part, the fight will now take place on November 15 in Arlington, Texas at the AT&T Stadium.
