Mike Tyson and Jake Paul will step into the ring on November 15, 2024, at AT&T; Stadium in Texas. The bout between the 65-year-old boxing legend and the young YouTuber-turned-boxer has stirred up quite a bit of controversy.
Former unified world champion Amir Khan, a friend of Tyson's, shared his thoughts on the match in an interview with Prime Casino. Khan expressed concern about the 30-year age gap between the fighters.
"You know what, the thing is there is a lot of weight advantage and to be honest with you, Mike is a friend of mine and I FaceTime him and we speak, but when you've got a 65-year-old man fighting a young, at-his-peak fighter you do feel sorry — but you can't feel too sorry for Mike Tyson because he's taken that chance."
The match will consist of eight two-minute rounds with 14-ounce gloves. Netflix will stream the event live. Many in the boxing world see the fight as ill-advised and potentially dangerous, with concerns about tarnishing Tyson's legacy.
Khan mentioned hearing about a possible clause in the contract that would give the fighters more money the longer the fight goes on. He worries this could add to the danger:
"Look, both fighters can bang. We know that. God forbid Mike gets hit with a massive shot and knows he's hurt, or he gets cut, or Jake gets cut, he's going to survive in there. He's going to think f**k that, I'm going to survive in here and make another million. To make a million outside the ring is very hard so fuck it, I'll stay another three minutes in the ring, take a couple more punches, I'll be alright. It's worth it."
Despite his concerns, Khan offered some advice to his friend Tyson:
"My message to Mike Tyson is we all love Mike Tyson. He's a friend of mine as well. He is always going to be remembered as a great. We all think that Mike is going to go into the ring and go for the knockout, and he might get the knockout as well, but he has to be smart in there and focused, because we want to see Mike go in there, tear him apart, and walk out in one piece."
Khan expressed worry about how this fight might affect Tyson's reputation:
"I am concerned. Yeah, 100%. Every fight you go into, especially at the age he's at — is he going to take it seriously? I think so, but how seriously is he going to take it? Everyone remembers Mike Tyson, that tough tough fighter, that great world champion, that animal of a fighter, but I don't want a fight like this to tarnish his record because a lot of people are going to think he's a joke. We don't really want it to get to that where fighters who have been world champions, and been up there as one of the best out there, now being beaten by YouTubers? It's not a good look for boxing."
The undercard for the event will feature a highly-anticipated rematch between Katie Taylor and Amanda Serrano, adding to the night's excitement.
As the fight date approaches, the boxing world watches with a mix of curiosity and concern, wondering how this unusual matchup will unfold.
