Mike Tyson is in trouble after accepting a fight against Jake Paul at the same age Evander Holyfield was when KO’d in 109 seconds.
Tyson attempts to break the mold of a path only walked by Holyfield previously at 58 years back in 2021. “The Real Deal” fought Vitor Belfort on Triller and was hurt without almost the first punch.
All other instances of fighters making comebacks in their 50s were against boxers of a similar age. Therefore, Tyson facing a 27-year-old leads many to believe an early knockout is on the cards either way.
If Tyson goes past a couple of rounds, he will run out of steam and be susceptible to a stoppage at the hands of a YouTuber-made former Disney child actor.
It could prove to be boxing’s darkest day.
Holyfield was humbled at eight days’ notice by former UFC star Belfort after Oscar De La Hoya pulled out, citing illness. It proved to be a terrible career decision for Holyfield who lost all his boxing faculties way before accepting the fight.
After Belfort put him through the ropes and dropped him more than once, Holyfield had no choice but to accept his fate as a victim of the exhibition fad.
“This is the first time my kids ever told me, ‘Dad, you don’t need to be getting hit,'” Holyfield told ESPN days after the bout. “At least I’m fighting somebody I know I can protect myself [against].
“The whole thing’s about protection. You don’t become a good fighter until you know how not to get hit. I know all the things that are necessary to be safe.”
Holyfield added that he thought Belfort couldn’t box when asked why he took the offer despite being out of top-class action for years.
“It’s hard to turn down a big sum of something when you know you can do it. Plus, you’ve got to understand, they [experts] are saying fight somebody who boxing ain’t his thing.”
Mike Tyson will be in a similar situation unless pulled from the event, which will be broadcast on Netflix this summer. However, with the addition of Katie Taylor vs. Amanda Serrano 2 this week, the Paul vs. Tyson card is snowballing and could soon prove too challenging to escape from.
It’s certainly no secret that an athlete approaching their sixties has a minute amount of time to make an impression against a prime and in-shape youngster. Paul would need to carry Tyson for rounds to get past two or three sessions and take it easy to get the aging legend anywhere near the final bell.
The views expressed in this article are the opinions of Phil Jay. Learn more and read all articles from the experienced boxing writer.
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