At the forefront of upcoming boxing spectacles, the Jake Paul versus Tyson looms as a riveting showdown in the world of boxing. A few years ago, Logan Paul fought Floyd Mayweather, and I anticipated that Logan Paul would put up a strong fight against Mayweather, and he did just that. Yet, the disparity in size, with Mayweather standing at 5’8″ and conceding, 18 years, 6 inches and 60 lbs to Paul, made it less perilous for Paul to enter the ring, relatively speaking. The greater danger you could argue lay in the smaller man giving up that kind of size getting caught by a punch. Fast forward to a few years later and his younger, (and smaller) brother Jake Paul will face a much different task facing Mike Tyson. Jake Paul is currently a big favorite in the betting markets, but I will lay out the case why I think Tyson should be the favorite.
Sanctioned as a Professional Fight
This won’t be an exhibition; the fight will be a professionally sanction bout, impacting Tyson’s record and legacy. Despite social media speculation suggesting a scripted exhibition, I disagree. Tyson should be motivated; this fight holds significant meaning for him as it’ll be recorded officially, affecting his legacy. There are also other boxing records at stake here. This match will mark the biggest age gap in professional boxing history, with Tyson at 58 years old and Paul at 27.
The format appears to favor Tyson, with only 8 two-minute rounds, where stamina isn’t as critical. Additionally, there will be no headgear and smaller gloves. Tyson also enjoys a 25lb weight advantage, possesses superior power, and boasts significantly more ring experience. While Tyson has faced opponents towering at 6-5, 250lbs plus many times, he now faces Paul, who barely tips the scales at 200lbs, with only 10 fights under his belt. Most of Paul’s bouts were handpicked against MMA practitioners, predominantly kickboxers or submission specialists. His lone boxing match against a lighter professional boxer ended in defeat.
Tysons Training
Watching videos like those above of Tyson training, he seems like a fighter who still possesses great balance and speed. He’s certainly not what he was, but he still appears capable of defeating some lower-level legitimate professionals even today. Additionally, he seems to be in better shape than when he fought Roy Jones Jr. a few years back.
Tyson vs Roy Jones November 28, 2020
Much has been made about Tyson not fighting since 2005, but we did witness Tyson in action about 3.5 years ago. He fought another Hall of Famer and former heavyweight champion who, at that time, was only 2 years removed from fighting professionally and had defeated a fighter with a record of 30-11, and another with a record of 21-6 three years prior.
Jones was close to Jake Paul’s size and likely still much faster than Jake Paul is today, even at 51 years old. He certainly had the ring experience, yet Tyson dominated him, bullying him around the ring that night. Tyson could have hurt him if he wanted to, and that’s a high-level professional boxer barely removed from fighting professionally, who had won 12 of his last 13 fights from age 42 to 49, and this was 2 years later.
Underestimating the Old Guy
It’s undeniable that some boxers in their 50s are ravaged by injuries and struggle with basic mobility. However, Tyson doesn’t seem to have sustained that kind of damage, as many of his fights ended early. He appears to be in good enough shape to step into the ring, whereas Evander Holyfield shouldn’t have at the same age a couple of years ago. Holyfield took that exhibition on short notice, but he did seem to lack balance after years of punishment, something Tyson doesn’t seem to suffer from. Indeed, boxing is one of the few sports where athletes in their 50s can still compete against professionals. As a heavyweight, Tyson’s reliance on speed may be diminished compared to lighter weight classes.
Older Previous Fighters
History demonstrates the potency of a single punch; Foreman was the champion at 46.5 years old. In this context, Tyson assumes Foreman’s role—a formidable force, contrasting sharply with his novice, YouTube-celebrity opponent. The discrepancy in talent, coupled with Tyson’s immense power and experience, positions him as the clear favorite to me. That’s not to say Jake Paul doesn’t likely hold a speed advantage, and he does seem to take his training and craft seriously. However, the talent difference, even with that accounted for, seems vast. Tyson is an all-time great in the sport.
Larry Holmes vs Butterbean
In the realm of combat sports, the unpredictability factor reigns supreme—just one well-placed punch can alter the course of a fight. Jake Paul possesses enough power that he could potentially knock Tyson out. However, the glaring discrepancy in talent between the contenders is evident here.
Let’s consider the example of another all-time great just months away from his 53rd birthday at the time. Larry Holmes faced off against Butterbean, a fighter boasting a professional record of 65-2 at the time and who was 35 years of age. I would consider Butterbean to be an infinitely more dangerous fighter to face given his power and experience at that point.
Holmes emerged victorious with a unanimous decision, showcasing the vast chasm in talent for an all-time great. Although Butterbean posed a tangible threat, he was overshadowed by Holmes’ sheer class and skill.
Jake Paul’s Experience
I mention all of the above not to diminish Jake Paul as a fighting prospect. Watching some of his fights, it’s clear he has talent for the sport and has put in the work. He is quick and has some power, but I do believe that even a 58-year-old Tyson will be unlike anyone he has ever faced.
These knockouts are spectacular, and while they come against fighters you recognize from the UFC, they’re not against a high level of boxer. The one he did face, he lost to in Tommy Fury. Overall I find this level of fighter less impressive than a 51 year old two years removed hall of famer like Roy Jones.
Conclusion
I’ll be putting my money on Tyson for all the reasons above. Some may be against it, but as a boxing fan, I think this is great for the sport and draws attention back to it. I’m very interested in seeing what Tyson can do at 58 years old. I also have respect for Jake Paul for even agreeing to this fight. I’ve seen multiple interviews with Tyson where he talked about how training reignited his ego.
This interview, in particular, describes his mindset when he’s boxing, and it should be frightening because he still is a dangerous fighter. Just winning wasn’t enough; he wanted to kill his opponents. Anyone who will sleep in a bed with a lion and a tiger at the same time is a different kind of mental make up to begin with. A boxer just died recently, and Jake Paul is a much braver man than most.
