Mike Tyson and Jake Paul will step into the ring in just one week. The pair will face off on Friday, November 15, at AT&T; Stadium in Arlington, Texas, with Netflix set to broadcast the event live.
The match-up has raised eyebrows due to the significant age gap between the fighters. Tyson, the legendary boxer who's now over 57 years old, hasn't had a professional fight in nearly two decades. On the other side of the ring stands Jake Paul, the 27-year-old YouTuber-turned-boxer.
Freddie Roach, one of boxing's most respected trainers and a former coach of Tyson, shared his thoughts on the upcoming bout. When asked about Jake Paul, Roach didn't seem overly impressed.
"The kid's okay. You know, a club fighter, I don't know. I've never really met him. He was in my gym and they wanted to work, use the ring. Okay, go ahead."
Roach's assessment comes from seeing Paul spar at his Wild Card Gym. However, the veteran trainer expressed more concern for his old friend and former fighter, Mike Tyson. Speaking to FightHype.com, Roach said:
"I trained Tyson. I like Mike a lot. He does come by my gym once in a while to say hello and visit and stuff. All of a sudden this fight's coming up against a younger, maybe stronger man. Well I can't say stronger cause Tyson's very strong. But the last two fights I trained him for he didn't do that well. I hope he does well because he's a good friend of mine."
The controversial nature of the fight hasn't gone unnoticed in boxing circles. One of Tyson's former promoters even went as far as to describe the upcoming bout as a "car crash".
As the clock ticks down to fight night, all eyes will be on AT&T; Stadium to see how this unusual matchup unfolds. Will Tyson's experience and legendary power prevail, or will Paul's youth and recent activity in the ring give him the edge? We'll find out in just seven days.
