Mike Tyson, considered one of the greatest boxers in history, has transformed into a larger-than-life figure or living legend. Despite retiring from professional boxing in 2005, Tyson returned for an exhibition bout against Roy Jones Jr on November 28th, 2020.
Many fans believed that performance would be his last, but the boxing world has been shaken as Tyson now prepares to face ‘The Problem Child’ Jake Paul, who fought on his undercard against Jones. Their bout is scheduled for July 20th, 2024, but boxing enthusiasts are still processing this unexpected match-up.
Mike Tyson once explained why he’d not fight Jake Paul
While no one believed this fight could happen, it seems to have been in the making for a while when we look at the past. Since venturing into boxing, Jake Paul has targeted almost every big name from the past and present. Alongside challenging figures like Conor McGregor and Canelo Alvarez, Paul once floated the idea of facing Mike Tyson.
In a two-year-old interview, Tyson dismissed the notion, stating the fight would be “so f***ing easy.” Another significant reason for Tyson rejecting the bout was his family’s positive view of Jake Paul, acknowledging the YouTuber’s courage by saying, “He’s got balls.”
Jake Paul once predicted the reason for Mike Tyson to avoid fighting him
As Paul progressed in the boxing sphere after making his pro debut on Mike Tyson’s undercard itself, he appeared on the show of Andrew Schulz to comment on future fights. In the podcast, as Paul was asked about fighting Mike Tyson, he first claimed that he would win, and followed by explaining why Tyson avoided the idea of battling him.
According to Paul, Tyson did not want to hurt him or potentially knock him out, which was the biggest reason behind him rejecting the fight in the first place. Paul then continued to speak on his belief of getting the win if they ever fought. In the same podcast, Jake stated “Maybe the fight would happen.”
Fast forward to two years later, his unimaginable prediction has now transpired into reality as we await the return of Mike Tyson, in the biggest fight of Paul’s career so far.
