Editor’s note: This article was originally published at MMAJunkie.com.
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Perhaps nothing can emphasize the age difference between Mike Tyson And Jake Paul than these two truths: When I was 20 years old Tyson became the youngest heavyweight boxing champion in 1986, Paul wasn’t even on his parents’ minds. And eleven years later, when Tyson bit off a piece of Evander Holyfield’s ear in the 1997 rematch, Paul was still in diapers.
Now in 2024, Paul, 27, will somehow meet Tyson in a boxing match streamed on Netflix, scheduled for eight rounds of two minutes each on July 20. at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas. By the time the opening bell rings, Tyson will be 58 years old, having last competed in a tournament The 2020 exhibition with Roy Jones Jr. ended in a draw.
There are natural questions about age and ability surrounding Tyson (50-6, 44 KOs) versus Paul (9-1, 6 KOs), with skeptics wondering whether Tyson is too old to still compete. fight or not. His reaction?
“I think the people who say that wish they were here,” Tyson said at a news conference Monday in New York. “Because no one else can do it. Who else can do this? Who else can shut down the world of sports? No one else can do that. You have both of us and we will do this.”
What about Paul? Yes, he clearly has youth on his side, but that also means Tyson has more experience than Paul, who has been competing for a little over four years against most MMA fighters and low-level fighters.
It’s possible that Paul was followed by Tyson, who has shown in training videos to still possess knockout power, even at his age.
“A lot of people are doubting me,” Paul said. “I went into the comments on Instagram and they were all saying, ‘If Jake wins this match, it’s cheating’ because he looks amazing. Age doesn’t matter. Age is just a number. He’s a killer, he’s a fighter, he’s been doing this his whole life, so it’s second nature to him. I’ve been doing this for 4 years and I’ve done it at a super high level.
“On July 20, I will show the world that I can beat Mike Tyson and prove everyone wrong and show everyone that I will be the one to do the killing.”
The proof is in them The first confrontation was full of joy After Monday’s press conference, Tyson and Paul were on friendly terms. However, Tyson says that will be no more when fight night arrives.
“We’re friends,” Tyson said. “There is no doubt that we are friends, but in that ring we will not be friends. That’s just the way it is.”
