Jake Paul has responded to calls for Mike Tyson to bite his ear off when the pair trade blows in an exhibition fight on July 20 in Dallas, Texas.
Paul, who chose Tyson after Tommy Fury rejected an offer for a rematch, hopes to enhance his name in the sport by knocking out the sport’s ‘Baddest Man.’
However, detractors of Paul took to social media to plead with Tyson to repeat his 1997 chomp of Evander Holyfield’s ear on the YouTuber.
“He can’t bite my ear off if I knock his teeth out,” Paul told FOX News. “Man, I think he’s underestimating me. I truly think that. And it’s a heavyweight fight, so, you know, he’s the bigger man.
“But I’m the faster man. He’s the much stronger man, but I’m fresh. He’s experienced. I’m smart, but in the ring, he may be smarter, so it’s a really interesting matchup.’’
On what he plans to weigh for the Tyson fight, the predominant cruiserweight added: “He’s the bigger man, so he’s going to be getting inside. I’m probably going to have to gain weight for this fight. But I believe I have the faster feet and the faster hands. So I’m going to be working angles. Mike can have the game plan. I’m still going to win. That’s how confident I am in my ability.’’
Asked if he’d seen footage of Tyson in his ten-second social media videos, Paul replied: “Yes, he looks like a beast. He’s a dog. He’s ‘Iron’ Mike Tyson.
“But I believe I have what it takes to beat him. I know this is the toughest test of my life, and it’s an honor to be there with Mike. But at the end of the day, I’m going to be the one who gets my hand raised.’’
Paul vs. Tyson will be under significant scrutiny due to allegations of a pre-fight agreement between the pair over whether they are allowed to go for the knockout.
World Boxing News also spoke to the Texas Department for Licensing and Regulation over whether Tyson can even compete at 58.
“The Texas Boxing Commission takes seriously its responsibility to ensure the safety of all combatants. We evaluate the record of each combatant who is proposed as a contestant when determining whether to approve a fight; the results of other fights that did not include the contestants being considered do not play a role in our decision-making,” Tela Mange told WBN.
There will also be random drug testing involved, as exclusively revealed by World Boxing News, something that the vast majority of the sport will welcome.
But the whole event continues to be controversial about Tyson being allowed to fight two years off his sixtieth birthday. Rival Holyfield did the same in 2001, but it didn’t end well for him against Vitor Belfort.
The Texas Commission knows it has a duty of care to Mike Tyson. If Jake Paul goes full throttle on Mike and lands significant blows to put the former champ down, no matter the outcome, there will be a backlash.
Paul vs Tyson seems to be a lose-lose scenario apart from the money involved.
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