Former two-weight world champion Andre Ward shared his thoughts on the fight in a recent interview with Fight Hub TV. Ward took a neutral stance, calling the bout a spectacle he's planning to watch.
That's a spectacle. I'm gonna watch it. I don't know – I see people on both sides. 'Mike shouldn't be in there' and it's like maybe not but if there's a 58-year-old that I'm not too concerned about it's probably Mike Tyson. It is risky. I had a writer text me another day telling me how risky it was and I'm like well Mike's life is risky. He's been risky from since he been a kid until now. Boxing is risky. How you gonna tell a man who's hard-wired like Mike Tyson that he shouldn't get a fight like that? It's gonna produce tens of millions of dollars … You can't tell him he ain't got a shot in that fight.
Ward acknowledged both sides of the argument. He pointed out that while some think Tyson shouldn't be fighting at 58, the former heavyweight champ is probably the one 58-year-old he's not too worried about. Ward also noted the fight's huge financial potential.
The retired boxer praised Jake Paul's team for their strategic approach to picking opponents. Paul, who has a 10-1 record, has mostly faced retired MMA fighters so far.
I don't really know where I stand on it. I'm gonna watch it. Jake and his team are very strategic. They're picking the right names and they get bigger and bigger. I don't really have a hard take on it, I'm gonna watch it for better or for worse.
In a separate interview with The Spit Bucket Podcast, Ward described the fight as "cool" but expressed concern that Tyson's body might not respond the same way to punches as it used to.
Ward has previously stated he doesn't hate on crossover boxing and praised the Paul brothers for having heart. He's even open to facing one of the Paul brothers himself, saying he keeps in shape for a potential 7-8 week fight preparation.
As for the fighters themselves, 'Iron Mike' Tyson has dismissed criticism and feels confident about beating Paul. Tyson's last professional fight was back in 2005, adding another layer of intrigue to this unusual matchup.