Jake Paul may be the current favorite in the betting markets, but I’ll explain why Tyson deserves that spot instead and highlight what I believe is the closest comparisons for this fight. Combat sports is one of the few arenas where athletes in their 50s can still compete against skilled professionals in both MMA and boxing. There is a current fighter that is 45.7 years old ranked 21st and the average age of the top 5 heavyweights is nearly 34. My research uncovered two key examples of all-time greats in their 50s facing strong opponents, offering valuable insights for this matchup. Additionally, George Foreman held the heavyweight title at 46.5 years old, proving that elite performance is achievable even at an advanced age. It really depends on which example you believe better fits.
Example 1: Larry Holmes vs. Butterbean
Larry Holmes is an all-time great, ranked fourth in our modern heavyweight rankings. When he fought Butterbean, he was just shy of his 53rd birthday. Butterbean was an enigma of sorts, similar to Jake Paul, in that his fame outweighed his actual boxing accolades. Butterbean was featured in video games, appeared in the hit movie Jackass, and enjoyed popularity during that time, despite being nowhere near a top-ranked fighter. It was a similar spectacle.
At the time of the fight, Butterbean was 35 years old. Although many of his opponents were low-ranked and he primarily fought in 4-round bouts, he had a professional record of 65-2 and a legitimate win over Peter McNeeley, who was 46-4 at the time, with one of his losses coming from Mike Tyson.
Given Butterbean’s size (330 lbs), power, and experience, he posed a far greater threat than Jake Paul does today. Holmes, despite being only about 5.5 years younger than Tyson is now, controlled the fight and won by unanimous decision in 10 rounds, demonstrating the vast talent gap for an all-time great, even one well into his 50s. We also know that Tyson demolished a 38-year-old Holmes.
Example 2: Evander Holyfield vs. Vitor Belfort
Evander Holyfield, another legendary heavyweight , was nearly 59 years old when he fought Vitor Belfort, and he lost quickly by TKO. However, unlike Holyfield, Tyson hasn’t accumulated the same degree of long-term damage, as many of Tyson’s fights ended early, even if they are near the same age at the time of this fight. Holyfield fought 443 rounds in his career, compared to Tyson’s 211. Moreover, Holyfield took that fight on short notice, and years of punishment seemed to have affected his balance and reflexes — neurological issues is suspect Tyson doesn’t appear to face to the same extent. Belfort was a world-class MMA fighter himself still at a competitive age of 44, with a solid stand-up game, making him arguably a tougher test than Jake Paul.
Tyson vs. Roy Jones Jr. (November 28, 2020)
Much has been made about Tyson not fighting since 2005, but it’s worth noting that we did see him in action a little less than 4 years ago. He fought another Hall of Famer and former heavyweight champion who, at that time, was only two years removed from fighting professionally. Roy Jones had recently 2 years earlier defeated a fighter with a 30-11 record (ranking in the top 50 at the time) and another with a 21-6 record three years prior. It’s hard to believe he wasn’t still a top 50ish caliber cruiserweight at the time. (Jake Paul is currently ranked 93rd in the same division)
Roy Jones Jr., similar in size to Jake Paul, was likely still much faster than Paul even at 51 years old. Jones also brought a wealth of ring experience, yet Tyson controlled the fight, pushing Jones around the ring. Tyson clearly had the ability to hurt Jones, had he chosen to, and this was against a high-level professional boxer who had won 12 of his last 13 fights between ages 42 and 49—the last just two years prior to their fight beating a top 50 fighter. We have this fight to judge 4 years ago, and certainly there was some degradation in speed since then, Tyson looks to be in better shape today which may offset it.
Who Should Win
Given this context, Tyson’s overwhelming talent, combined with his power and experience, makes him the clear favorite in my view. While Jake Paul may have a speed advantage and appears dedicated to his training, the gap in talent and experience remains considerable. Tyson is an all-time great (ranked 8th in all time in our modern heavyweights) even if he is 31 years older. That talent difference is still a huge factor.
This won’t be an exhibition fight; it’s a professionally sanctioned bout, meaning it will impact Tyson’s official record and legacy. Contrary to speculation about it being a scripted exhibition, I believe Tyson is seriously motivated. Additionally, the match will mark the largest age gap in professional boxing history, with Tyson at 58 and Paul at 27, giving Tyson another milestone and record to pursue. Tyson has stated he doesn’t need the money, and his dedication to training videos suggests he’s genuinely prepared and doing this for himself.
The format of the fight also favors Tyson, featuring only eight two-minute rounds, reducing the importance of stamina. Tyson will have about a 25-pound normal walking around weight advantage, superior power, and vastly more ring experience. While Tyson has faced opponents as large as 6’5″ and 250 pounds, Paul will likely come in as a beefed up heavyweight, with only 11 fights to his name and the smaller built man. Most of Paul’s opponents have been carefully chosen MMA fighters—primarily kickboxers or grapplers. In his only boxing match against a lighter, true professional boxer, Paul was defeated.
Conclusion
This upcoming sanctioned professional bout against Jake Paul. While the fight is undoubtedly a spectacle, it may not be as outlandish as it seems. Matches of this caliber occur weekly around the world, often involving other ranked fighters in their 50s or fighters moving up divisions.
Jake Paul, currently ranked 93rd in the cruiserweight division on BoxRec, fighting as a heavyweight in this bout, which would likely lower his ranking to somewhere in the 500 range in the higher division. Tyson in a previous article we estimated his current rank somewhere around 500th from our research. After examining the matchup, it’s clear that while this fight has a strong entertainment factor, it’s also a legitimate contest of two likely top 500 heavyweight fighters in the world.
I expect Tyson to outclass and outmatch Paul, much like Holmes did with Butterbean. Even if it becomes clear that Tyson may be too slow and old to win purely on talent and skill, he still likely possesses knockout power, and it only takes one punch (also true for Paul as well). Combined with Tyson’s vast experience, this gives him a solid chance to land one and win— if he approaches the fight with serious intent which I think he will.
