On July 20th, Mike Tyson will step into the ring with Jake Paul, who is more than 30 years his junior. This age disparity has drawn considerable attention and criticism, but Tyson sees this as nothing more than jealousy from the commentators.
Mike Tyson and Logan Paul are set to face off on July 20th at AT&T Stadium in Texas. "USA Today" reports that the fight will be an exhibition match, characterized by larger gloves, two-minute rounds, and the absence of point judges. This marks a departure from traditional boxing scoring.
Tyson's challenger, a well-known 27-year-old actor and YouTuber, brings significant boxing experience to the ring, boasting 9 wins out of 10 professional bouts. Tyson, meanwhile, will enter the fight at 58, having celebrated his birthday just weeks prior. This considerable age gap has sparked widespread commentary, which Tyson addressed in a conversation with Reuters Agency.
"I will be 58, so what? The talks about the fight alone have billions of views. Everyone is jealous, even athletes. I tell them that even in their prime, they couldn’t sell out an 80,000-seat stadium. Who else can do that at 58?" he stated.
Tyson is confident that the bout with Paul will draw a massive audience. He highlights that Paul's popularity is a significant draw, making him a desired opponent for many in professional combat sports. Paul has previously squared off against UFC legends Anderson Silva and Nate Diaz, among others.
"Why does Jake Paul want to fight me and not someone else? Everyone, even boxers, wants to fight him. Only their friends and fans would bother watching if they fight anyone else. Their parents wouldn’t even show up. It’s too dull, like watching grass grow," Tyson explained.
We should note that Tyson last fought in the ring in 2020, in an exhibition match against another boxing icon, Roy Jones Jr. His most recent professional fight was in 2005.
