For a significant portion of 2024, the Boxing world has been buzzing over the announced bout between social media influencer, turned professional boxer Jake Paul and International Boxing Hall of Famer and former two-time World Heavyweight champion Mike Tyson. An encounter that just mentions of it has stirred a range of opinions and criticism. The primary reason for the criticism is obvious.
Tyson, who has not fought professionally in over twenty years will be stepping back into the ring at age fifty-eight to face the twenty-seven year old Paul. While it needs to be pointed out for the purposes of factual accuracy that Tyson did participate in a charity exhibition in November 2020 at age fifty-four with fellow Hall of Famer Roy Jones, who was fifty-one during the global COVID-19 epidemic. While some may view an exhibition as something that might have helped Tyson work off theoretical “Ring Rust," there is a significant difference between an endeavor, which is designed to be an exhibition in a charitable effort between two participants of similar age and fight designed to be an official competition where the age difference will be thirty-one years, where one of the combatants has not officially competed in over twenty years. To add further context to the criticism, when Tyson retired in 2005 after retiring on his stool in his fight against Kevin McBride, there were many who felt Tyson was what is often referred to as a “Shot Fighter." Another and perhaps more polite way to put it, his best days were behind him.
The encounter between Paul and Tyson, originally scheduled for July 20th at AT&T Stadium was postponed when Tyson became ill with what was said to be an inflamed ulcer on a flight from Miami, FL to Los Angeles, CA, which forced him to pull out of the bout and thus cast doubt as to whether it would happen. As most know, Paul, chose to keep the July 20th date, but found himself competing in Tampa, FL in scoring a dominant sixth round knockout of Mike Perry, a fighter known for his time competing in the sport of Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) and in Boxing matches fought under Bareknuckle rules and formats.
Paul, who has a professional record of 10-1, with 7 Knockouts, has faced his share of criticism as well for having fought against either fellow social media influencers, fighters who come from an MMA background with little or no Boxing experience, one former NBA player, and two traditional professional boxers, yet has said that he wants to be taken seriously as a boxer and stating his desire to be a world champion. Although the debate of whether someone can actually work themselves into position to fight for a world championship, fighting almost exclusively against non-boxers is still ongoing, what is not in dispute is Paul has dedicated himself to the sport and in the process has become a significant presence in Boxing as a promoter. If one factors the knockout of Mike Perry, who did compete in one traditional Boxing bout several years prior to facing Paul, into the equation, Paul does have a record of 2-1, with 2 Knockouts against opponents with Boxing backgrounds. Nevertheless, the question of whether one can work their way into world title contention with a limited resume such as Paul’s as well as now facing a long-retired legend of the sport is one that many are likely asking.
Despite several voicing concerns for Tyson's health, the bout between Paul and Tyson will take place at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, TX. The event will also signal the entry into the sport of Netflix, long considered to be the pioneer of digital subscription-based streaming networks. It is also something that will be available as part of a Netflix subscription.
Frankly, this observer is hesitant to use the term “Fight" when discussing this encounter. Not out of any hostility towards either Paul or Tyson, but because not only do I not know what we will see, but I share some of the same concerns many have expressed for Tyson's health. It may be tempting for some to say such concern is a way to hype and be negative, but my concern comes from a place as someone who has covered many older fighters who probably should not have been allowed to get in a ring at advanced ages between their forties and fifties. In this case, I am one who grew up watching Mike Tyson compete and who covered him from 1995 until his last fight in 2005. I also took the time to cover the exhibition between Tyson and Jones in 2020 as I supported the effort to support the first responders of the horrible epidemic we all lived through. An effort that Tyson himself described as a humanitarian effort.
This is also a similar scenario to another fight I covered, which unfortunately turned into a black eye for Boxing, which I will be honest with the reader has stirred similar feelings for yours truly. I am referring to the September 2021 debacle that saw Hall of Famer and former Tyson opponent Evander Holyfield at fifty-eight years old, return to the ring to face former MMA world champion Vitor Belfort in Hollywood, FL. A situation where the event was moved from its original location in California to Florida due to the California State Athletic Commission (CSAC) refusing to license Holyfield citing not only his age, but also the punishment he had sustained throughout his career as contributing reasons.
Despite still looking to be in immaculate shape at fifty-eight years old, it was clear that Holyfield was compromised as he couldn't not keep his balance and was unable to effectively defend himself, being knocked down by Belfort and rescued by Referee Sam Burgos who quickly stopped the sad scene in the first round. The encounter, which was pushed as an official professional fight, was changed to an exhibition by the Florida State Athletic Commission (FSAC) in response to the backlash that followed, which was justified, as was the CSAC’s refusal to license Holyfield. The similarities between that debacle and potentially this event may not end there.
Much like Holyfield, Tyson looks to be in great shape for a retired fighter at an advanced age, but photographs and videos shared across social media often do not tell the full story. Tyson is now the same age as Holyfield was in 2021, but a difference that may not be in Tyson’s favor is twenty years between official fights compared to ten years for Holyfield, who last competed in 2011. Furthermore, Vitor Belfort was forty-four years old when he got in the ring with the then fifty-eight year old Holyfield. A fourteen year age difference and not the thirty-one year difference between Tyson and Paul.
Although it is important to keep in mind that one aging fighter's condition may not exactly be the same as another from the same era, these facts do not necessarily paint a good picture. What could work in Tyson’s favor, however, is Paul though a good athlete is limited in overall Boxing experience and has fought all his fights as a Cruiserweight and not a Heavyweight where this encounter will take place.
There are two things that could come with that. One, Paul has never fought as a Heavyweight and if Tyson can land a punch solidly on the much younger man, it will be interesting to see how Paul takes a punch from a natural Heavyweight. Two, while it is unrealistic to expect anything resembling Tyson in his prime in the 1980’s and 1990’s, a fighter who often won fights before they even began through intimidating his opponents as one of Boxing’s feared “Knockout Artists," who also had significant hand speed to go with it, the last attribute a fighter has is punching power and if it turns out that Tyson neurologically has his reflexes and is not in a similar circumstance as Holyfield was, if he still has some of that punching power, it could be interesting. On the other hand, Paul's primary weapon throughout his career to this point has been a right hand that has proven to have knockout power in it, Tyson's punch resistance at this age will be a focal point to focus on here if Paul can land his right hand.
Regardless of whether or not this event turns out to be a start of a long-term investment in Boxing for Netflix, this observer still has the concerns he had in 2021 and the nerves probably won't subside until I see that everyone comes out of this with their health intact. As someone who over the last three decades has covered his share of fights that should not have been allowed to take place and unfortunately more deaths related to fights inside the ring, as someone who is a Boxing lifer and truly cares about the sport and wants to see it succeed in all areas, I hope the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation, who will be overseeing this bout are paying attention and it won't be up to the referee in the ring to do the right thing because the commission overseeing things would not and Boxing will not be forced to suffer another black eye and debacle. Will Paul-Tyson be good or bad for Boxing? I wish I could give the reader an answer.
“And That's The Boxing Truth."
Paul vs. Tyson takes place on Friday, November 15th at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, TX. The fight as well as it's main undercard can be seen worldwide on digital subscription entertainment network Netflix beginning at 8PM ET/5PM PT (*U.S. Times Only*) a portion of undercard bouts will be streamed for free on the Most Valuable Promotions YouTube channel beginning at 5:30PM ET/2:30PM PT before the main card begins. For more information about Netflix including local start times where you are in the world please visit: www.Netflix.com.
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