Mike Tyson is now just weeks away from his controversial return to professional boxing when he takes on Jake Paul next month.
Tyson is regarded as one of the biggest hitters in boxing history and one man who knows better than most what it’s like to be on the receiving end of his punches is former heavyweight legend Larry Holmes. The ‘Easton Assassin’ was stopped for the first time in his career by ‘Iron Mike’ back in 1988.
Speaking to OLGB about the upcoming contest, Holmes said he got ’embarrassed’ by Tyson that night and has warned Paul just what it feels like to get hit by ‘the Baddest Man on the Planet’.
“Tyson ducks, moves his head, and gets in close. He’ll take a punch or two to get in close, and then once he’s up close he’ll go to work on the body, and then that head.
Mike knocked the s**t out of me, he hit me so hard I went ‘wooooo’. And he beat me. It was embarrassing.
I remember the right hand he hit me with – I thought at the time ‘he should be locked up’ because of the power, and he kept on coming, growling like Joe Frazier.
That’s the fight I’m expecting Mike to put on. Jake has to survive that.”
Holmes has been watching Tyson’s training clips and says if Paul tries to trade with the 58-year-old then it will be an early night for the YouTuber.
“I watched a clip of Mike Tyson this morning and all I can say is Jake better be ready if he’s going to fight Mike. Mike will be able to last the two-minute rounds. Mike comes to fight when he puts his mind to it, he goes to work on you. And that’s what I’ve seen today. And if this guy tries to trade punches with Mike, he loses.
Mike is a puncher. I fought Mike and he hit me and that was the end of it. Earnie Shavers was one of the hardest punchers there’s ever been and Mike is right up there with him at the top. Earnie Shavers was the hardest I’ve ever faced but when Tyson hits, he tries to kill you. And Mike can take a good punch, I hit him a couple of times and he kept on coming.
Jake will hit him, but Mike is going to keep on coming. He better be ready for Mike to keep coming forward with punches.”
Paul vs Tyson takes place on November 15 in Texas and will be watched live on Netflix.
