Friday November 15 YouTube influencer turned professional fighter Jake Paul will lace up the gloves one more time with what might be his most imposing challenge to date. That is if it is a real fight. 58-year-old Mike Tyson returns to the squared circle to take on the 31-year younger Paul in what on paper appears to be a bad joke.
If you have followed Paul’s combat career thus far you will find that many of fights seemed “fixed.” It’s either that or his opponents were ex-mixed martial arts fighters that were past their prime. Some athletes from other sports were also encouraged to step into the ring with Paul despite their age or lack of boxing experience.
The truth is that naysayers of Paul like me have wondered what would happen if Paul took on a real professional boxer with experience? That answer was profoundly answered on February 26, 2023, when former heavyweight champion Tyson Fury’s half brother Tommy went eight rounds with Paul and won a split decision. But watching the fight does not reflect that result. Paul was schooled.
Some of the other fights Paul has had includes his last bout with Mike Perry. Perry was in the UFC and while a rough dude was not a good martial artist. So, he went to bare knuckle boxing where he did very well. Perry has a tough demeanor that I thought would serve him well in fighting Jake Paul. End result? Perry gets TKOd in the sixth round. But his performance was questionable given his style thus creating doubt in whether this fight was on the up and up or not.
Then there was a fight with Nate Diaz who was way past his prime in the UFC and had he fought Paul early on in his career this fight would have been a joke. Instead, another Paul decision. Paul even took on an aging and another MMA fighter, one of the best ever Anderson Silva, and won an eight-round decision. Again, old man, past his prime, and questionable performance.
There were the back-to-back fights with Tyron Woodley, who might be the one former MMA fighter that was at his worst when taking on Jake Paul and he lost a decision that got iced with what appeared to be a legitimate knockout punch. Still, not a REAL boxer. What was Jake Paul doing fighting Nate Robinson? A pro basketball player boxing? Come on man.
Lastly, we have the fight with Ben Askren. Askren was a champion in Bellator, an Olympic wrestler, but will be forever remembered for getting knocked out in just 15 seconds by a flying knee from Jorge Masvidal in 2019. Askren became the butt of jokes and with no boxing experience he again got knocked out by Jake Paul. A complete and utter bad joke.
I don’t know anyone who takes Jake Paul seriously and only know those who want to see him lose and lose badly. Could that happen on November 15? Given Tyson’s age and his recent demeanor, it seems unlikely. Many experts call this a terrible match to make and there is no business for a 58-year-old to be climbing through the ropes with someone half his age.
However, while Tyson has calmed himself and is not the terror he used to be in and out of the ring, from Tyson’s own mouth he claims the “old” Tyson will return for this fight. Said Tyson:
I’m bringing the devil himself to the ring. There are no feelings attached. My own mother should be very careful if she has to get in the ring with me. When it’s over, it’s over. But while the process is going on, my intention is to hurt him. I hope he has the same intentions, or he is in trouble.
What Tyson added to that is his 16-year-old daughter Milan only knows the loving father he is. Not the 1980s beast that Tyson was. I’m a huge fan of the old Mike Tyson and recently watched a documentary of Peacock that I recommend everyone watch because you will have a better understanding of Mike Tyson the man and why his life evolved into what it was and what it is now.
But young Milan may or may not have watched old footage of her father knocking opponents out and into la-la land, putting many to sleep but I kid you not, as a personal witness this man was a MONSTER. What he said about his daughter Milan:
She saw me on television fight with Roy Jones in 2020, but she has never seen anything of this magnitude in her life. My kids don’t really think of me as the baddest man on the planet. They look at me as Dad and tell me sit your old ass down. But on Nov. 15 they will have a different opinion of me.”
My reaction to that? YIKES! I’m convinced that if this fight is on the up and up and Tyson fights in the mindset he has indicated above, they better get a hospital bed ready for Jake Paul. Paul claims he is not afraid and wants the best Mike Tyson to be in the ring with him.
At 58 Tyson is not going to be the 20 something old Tyson he was but I’ve seen film and even at his age and shape, he is still fast for being that old and I’m sure he still hits hard. Back in the day when Mike Tyson hit you, you knew it. He also had the ability to intimidate opponents without throwing a punch. Just ask Michael Spinks. I watched that fight on pay-per-view and believe me, Spinks lost before the first round began. He looked like a scared rabbit staring into Tyson’s eyes. Unreal.
So, all we can hope for is that this is a legitimate fight and for Jake Paul he is in a lose-lose situation. If he wins, most will say it was either a fixed fight or he beat a 58-year-old washed up fighter…again. If he loses, then he becomes the joke he already is but more so because he lost to someone who was already past his prime when he retired officially after his fighting career. If Mike Tyson does what he says and puts Paul to sleep, then Jake Paul becomes a laughing stock and a major idiot for taking this fight in the first place.
After all, what is Jake Paul really trying to prove? By taking on aging MMA fighters, boxers past their prime, athletes from other sports, does he honestly believe anyone is going to look at him as a real pro boxer? Let him fight anyone in the top 10 and I’d put money on the fact he loses. EVERY TIME.
