Mike Tyson is set to take on Jake Paul this summer, and their bout is steadily becoming one of the professional boxing world’s most anticipated events of the year. Unsurprisingly, fans have been sharing their takes on the fight, speculating about who might claim victory. Amid that buzz though, there are some who aren’t so pleased with the event taking place. Within that portion of detractors are a few veterans of the sport. The latest to do speak out is a notable pal of Tyson’s, Deontay Wilder, who didn’t hold back when explaining why he thinks the Paul fight isn’t a good idea.
What Did Deontay Wilder Have To Say About The Paul Vs. Tyson Fight?
The 38-year-old former World Boxing Council heavyweight champion recently took part in a wide-ranging interview, during which he discussed his fitness goals and the odds of him fighting Tyson Fury for a fourth time. Sportsbook Review also asked him for his take on the upcoming Paul v. Tyson event. Upon being asked about it, Deontay Wilder listed more than a few concerns. Among them were the long amount of time “Iron Mike” has been away from the ring and the soon-to-be 58 year old’s physical state. Wilder also weighed in on what the fight could do to his buddy’s reputation:
I think it's bad the commission has licensed Mike Tyson because he hasn't been active in 20 years, so they should not just license him because of who he is, that's how people get hurt, God forbid he gets hurt. People can get hit in the wrong place and at the wrong time, there's lots of examples where guys have been hit into a coma. It's easy to do. His power may not have left completely but you still need to set it up, your stamina needs to be a certain way, or it's going to look like a clown show. I don't want to see it to be honest. I don't want to see one of my legends fight a YouTuber. If (Jake) goes in there and he knocks Mike out, that's going to tarnish the reputation of Mike. I don't want the last thing I remember of him is him getting knocked out by a Youtuber.
One could argue that Mike Tyson still seems to be relatively fit for someone his age, and the training videos he’s dropped since his latest fight was announced would seem to back that up. However, Deontay Wilder does make a fair point about certain hits being able to cause certain damage at a given moment. It’s also interesting to think about what a loss to the social media star could do to Tyson’s reputation. While sharing additional thoughts, Wilder got honest about why he thinks “no one gives a fuck about Mike”:
He's too old for this. At the end of the day, no one gives a fuck about Mike. We can talk about the pros and cons, but at the end of the day, they don't give a fuck. I don't think anyone cares about Mike because if they did they wouldn't sanction the fight. They may say they've done tests and all that, OK, but as long as you're willing to suffer the consequences if something bad goes wrong.
It definitely sounds like the Olympic bronze medal winner has some serious concerns about his friend. And his sentiments almost exactly echo thoughts that have been shared by others.
What Have Others Said About The Fight Between Mike Tyson And Jake Paul?
Public figures have been discussing the highly promoted fight between the veteran fighter and the social media star for months now. Veteran fighter KSI said it’s a “lose-lose” situation because, on one hand, it would be “sad” for Mike Tyson to get beaten. And, on the other hand, the British boxer believes Jake Paul will gain a reputation for only beating older fighters should he win. Meanwhile, MMA veteran Michael Page isn’t a fan of the idea, either. While he can understand the financial incentive to have it take place, he thinks it would be “ugly” to see the 27-year-old standing over Tyson.
Even UFC boss Dana White is “not thrilled” with the two combatants going through with the fight. What seems to concern the exec most is the significant age difference between the two participants. White also asserted the belief that the YouTuber is only seeking to “make money” from the event and because he can’t sell a pay-per-view fight on his own, has to ring in opponents who can.
At the end of the day, none of us can truly say how the fight will ultimately go down. One can only hope that it’s a competitive bout that doesn’t see any harmful damage happen to either of the men involved. Chances are plenty of people will be tuning in come fight night but, given his comments of concern, it sounds like Deontay Wilder may not be joining them in doing so.
Jake Paul vs. Mike Tyson is set to stream live for Netflix subscribers on July 20 as part of the 2024 TV schedule.
