Nothing against Jake Paul, but the thing that might be the hardest ever to see in decades of watching boxing is Paul standing over a beaten Mike Tyson as the referee tolls the count.
Tyson is one of the great stars in boxing history and more than 25 years since his prime, remains an iconic figure in society. He's so big that even after he was retired for more than 15 years, he sold 1.6 million pay-per-views when he fought an exhibition against Roy Jones Jr. on Nov. 28, 2020, in Los Angeles.
Now, Tyson is returning to boxing on July 20 in Arlington, Texas, to fight Paul on a bout that will be broadcast on Netflix from AT&T Stadium. Tyson, who will be 58 on fight night, hasn't competed in an officially sanctioned bout since a June 11, 2005, loss to journeyman Kevin McBride in Washington, D.C. But Paul's Most Valuable Promotions announced Monday that the Texas Department of Licensing & Regulation as sanctioned the bout as an official heavyweight match, with it being eight, two-minute rounds and the fighters wearing 14-ounce gloves.
Heavyweights generally wear 10-ounce gloves, so that begs the question of what the impact of the larger glove will have on the fight?
Tyson was a shell of himself in his last two bouts, losses to Danny Williams and McBride. The fearsome power and speed that made him the youngest heavyweight champion in history were long gone. Let's be honest, too, when we discuss this: It's not like it's going to be vintage Tyson after 19 years, either. This fight will be a 58-year-old heavyweight best known for his speedy hands and great punching power going up against a 27-year-old cruiserweight best known for his social media presence.
Paul is in the early stages of his pro boxing career, and it's hard to know what he'll turn into. By all accounts, he works hard at perfecting his craft and so it's likely that if he keeps that up and doesn't lose interest, he'll wind up as a mid-tier pro. He won't be a Terence Crawford or a Naoya Inoue, but with time and effort could be like an Efe Ajagba or a Kevin Lerena.
In his career, Tyson (50-6, 44 KOs, 2 NC) was a fast starter. He scored 34 of his 44 knockouts in a 50-6 career in three rounds or less. In fights that lasted longer than six rounds, though, Tyson was 11-4. The fact the fight is only scheduled for eight rounds and the rounds are two minutes long will favor Tyson.
But the size of the gloves is the hard part to figure. Legendary trainer/broadcaster Teddy Atlas doesn't dismiss Tyson's chances, though he said it before he knew the size of the gloves.
"This is the first time I think [Jake Paul] may have made a mistake," Atlas said last week. "I think there's a chance he could get knocked out in the first two rounds."
Tyson's best chance to do it would be early, when the conditioning issues that will impact any older fighter are not that significant, and with the smaller gloves. The bigger gloves will slow Tyson down just that much and lessen the impact of the blows.
Also, having just two minutes to get his work done instead of three will be a factor. Given it's impossible for him to have that explosive power he once did, even if he still hits harder than most, he's going to need a while to soften Paul up and break him down. Having the bell ring early in those first few rounds could work to Tyson's detriment in terms of seeking a knockout.
It seems difficult to imagine Tyson being able to go the distance, particularly if Paul fights hard and aggressively. How can his conditioning possibly hold up when he's that close to 60? When he fought Jones Jr. in 2020, the pace was leisurely and neither guy was pressing the action terribly hard.
The one advantage Paul is sure to have, though, is the one that youth gives him: There will be little doubt that he'll be far better conditioned boxer. And if he can survive the early going when Tyson will be the most dangerous, he'll have a chance to win a decision.
It'd be sad if Paul were to knock out Tyson, simply for what it would mean symbolically for the sport. Yes, this fight is all about money -- Don't kid yourselves, because it's almost always about the money -- but it would be wrong for pictures of a novice to be standing over a flattened Tyson.
It's difficult to look at photos of Larry Holmes in the midst of his 1980 pummeling of Muhammad Ali, and Holmes was one of the greatest heavyweights who ever lived. To see a YouTuber standing over Tyson well, just the thought of it makes one shudder.
Paul is an extremely smart businessman with a special talent for making money. But if he just negotiated himself into a spot where he took away Tyson's greatest advantage, that'd be an all-time coup.
Courtesy Most Valuable Promotions