Jake Paul and Mike Tyson are getting ready to face off in the boxing ring. The two fighters will meet on November 15 at AT&T; Stadium in Arlington, Texas, and fans will be able to watch the action live on Netflix.
At 27 years old, Paul has a record of 10 wins and 1 loss. He's kept busy in the ring, mostly fighting retired MMA fighters. Tyson, on the other hand, is 58 and hasn't fought competitively in 20 years. He retired back then because he lost his love for the sport.
The age gap between the two fighters is 31 years. This has led to a lot of criticism from boxing fans who think the match-up isn't fair.
Ben Askren, an Olympic wrestler and MMA champion who Paul knocked out in the first round of his third pro fight, shared his thoughts on the upcoming bout. He thinks Paul will win.
"I just feel like 58 is… I mean, yes the one thing he'll probably retain is the power, so Mike Tyson needs to catch him. But the gas tank and all the other things that go with it definitely go downhill, especially when you haven't been doing it very competitively."
Askren believes the fight will be competitive early on, but Tyson's age will catch up with him.
"I feel like that's how it's gonna go, it's gonna be competitive early. 58 is old and he's probably gonna get tired and, yeah. It's a [lose-lose] because everybody loves Mike Tyson. You're beating up a 58-year-old. He hasn't been actively competitive in twenty years."
The former MMA champ sees this as a tough situation for Paul. Even if he wins, beating a 58-year-old beloved figure like Mike Tyson won't be seen as a big achievement.
Despite his prediction, Askren admits he'd love to see Tyson pull off the upset.
"Wouldn't we all love to see it? Let's not get our hopes up. Santa may not bring you anything nice but if he does it'll be a great surprise."
Askren shared these thoughts on his podcast, Funky and the Champ. For more details about the upcoming fight, you can check out the official Netflix announcement.
