Mike Tyson and Jake Paul will step into the ring for a boxing match later this year. The legendary former heavyweight champion will face the YouTuber-turned-boxer on November 15 at the AT&T; Arena in Texas.
The fight was originally set for July 20 but got pushed back. Tyson, now 58 years old, had to deal with an ulcer flare-up, which led to the postponement.
Lennox Lewis, the former undisputed heavyweight champion who beat Tyson in 2002, shared his thoughts on the upcoming bout. In an interview, Lewis called these types of events "exhibitions" or "YouTube fights."
"That's what I call them – exhibitions. Youtube fights. It can't be serious fights, it's just an event to me … Of course [I watch them] you never know what's gonna pop up."
Lewis admitted he's not sure about the rules for this fight, but he thinks it'll be exciting and profitable for both fighters.
"I don't even know what the rules are, I don't know what's happening. I'm happy for them, I think they're gonna make a good bag and make it exciting. There are a lot of kids that love Jake Paul, a lot of kids that love Tyson. They want to see what's gonna happen in the ring. Me too."
When asked for his prediction, Lewis backed the former champ:
"Mike Tyson's gonna win."
He explained his reasoning, pointing out Tyson's vast experience:
"You can fight somebody like that and do well, because the person you're fighting is not a true fighter and there's a hundred things that you've forgotten that he's learning. If they get close and Mike Tyson comes with his ten second combination, if one of those punches catches [Paul] he's definitely gonna go down."
Lewis knows a thing or two about facing Tyson. The two met in the ring back in 2002, with the WBC, IBF, IBO, and Ring magazine titles on the line. Lewis dominated that fight and stopped Tyson in the eighth round.
The upcoming Tyson-Paul bout has got fans and critics talking. While some see it as pure entertainment, others are curious to see how the 58-year-old Tyson will fare against the younger Paul. Either way, it's set to be one of the most talked-about boxing events of the year.