Jake Paul and Mike Tyson will face off in a controversial pro bout with altered rules this year which will see the former world champion in the ring for the first time competitively since his retirement fight in 2005.
‘Iron’ Mike still holds the record of the youngest man to ever win the heavyweight title but, at 57-years-old, many feel the bout against YouTuber-turner-fighter Paul, 27, is in bad taste.
In an interview with The Breakfast Club, six-weight champion turned promoter Oscar De La Hoya said it was a ‘money-grab’ fight and not the route Paul should be taking if his claims to be serious about the sport are to be accepted.
“I love Mike Tyson, man. I don’t wanna see him get hurt … This is what I tell Jake Paul, the way you claim and want to be world champion, it’s not taking this route in fighting Mike Tyson.
Yeah you’re gonna make a lot of money, sell a lot of tickets and attract a lot of new fans, which is great, but if you want to take the sport serious and be world champion, go fight a top 20, 10, 5 fighter. Be a contender and win a world title. Take the tough road, the way we did. This route here, it’s a money grab. Which is all good.”
With that all said, De La Hoya still wouldn’t go as far as to say Paul would win, banking on Tyson’s famous power still being there all these years on.
“One punch from Tyson can end it all, and Tyson’s looking like a beast right now.”
The event – originally set for July 20 but now pushed back to November 15 due to Tyson being medically unfit – will be the first live streamed boxing event on Netflix.
