Mike Tyson thinks Jake Paul could become a world champion. The former heavyweight great says Paul's boxing skills have gotten a lot better.
Tyson and Paul faced off in the ring last November at AT&T; Stadium in Texas. Paul won the fight by unanimous decision, but many fans and experts weren't happy about the match-up. Tyson, at 59 years old, hadn't fought professionally in almost 20 years. Paul is over 30 years younger than him.
Paul's latest win came on June 28 at the Honda Center in Anaheim. He beat former WBC middleweight champion Julio Cesar Chavez Jr on points. After that fight, Tyson was asked if he thought Paul could become a real world champion.
"Let me just be honest, he's improved a lot – yes."
Paul's career has taken off. The WBA recently added him to their cruiserweight world rankings at number 14. He's now ranked above Craig Parker, a hard-hitting American contender.
The 28-year-old, known as "The Problem Child", might fight for a world title soon. He could face Gilberto Ramirez, who holds the WBA and WBO cruiserweight belts. Another option is Badou Jack, the WBC cruiserweight champ.
There's also talk about a fight with Anthony Joshua, the two-time unified heavyweight champion. But it's not clear if that will happen anytime soon.
Paul has come a long way in a short time. He's beaten both Tyson and Chavez Jr, and now he's ranked in the top 15 of a major boxing organization. Tyson's words suggest Paul's journey in boxing might be far from over.
