Jake Paul has piled on thirty pounds for his heavyweight test against Mike Tyson despite still having a long camp ahead of him.
The YouTuber-turned-wannabe boxer faces Tyson on July 20 in Dallas, Texas, on a Netflix special televised broadcast, the first of its kind on the streaming service.
In preparation, the predominant cruiserweight aims to bulk up considerably and turn his new excess poundage into an advantage against the 58-year-old heavyweight legend.
Former world champion and boxing superstar Sugar Shane Mosley revealed Paul’s weight after bumping into the ex-Disney child star this week.
Mosley said, speaking to Roy Jones Jr on his podcast: “I saw Jake Paul yesterday, and he’s weighing 230 pounds. He was 230 and really big. He said he felt as fast as when he was 185 or 190.
“He’s still young, but will he be ready for the fight against Mike Tyson?”
Paul then appeared on DAZN to discuss his challenge against Tyson, which sees the 9-1 puncher beginning the fight as a favorite. The age gap is too much for the number crunchers to ignore, as Paul is 31 years younger, fresher, and more active than Tyson.
‘Iron’ Mike hasn’t fought since a 2020 exhibition against Roy Jones Jr. Before that, “The Baddest Man on the Planet” was out of commission for fifteen years.
It’s no wonder Paul is confident.
“It’s very surreal. This is one of the biggest fights in history, and I’m just honored to be a part of it,” he told DAZN. “With a dance partner like Mike Tyson, I could never have dreamed of this.
“I’m humbled; I owe it all to my fans and my supporters. We just got here through hard work, taking risks, and knocking people out. That’s what I’m going to keep on doing on July 20th.
“Mikey, Uncle Mike, I love you. You’re looking amazing, but there can be only one winner. I’m sorry, but I have to end you, brother.”
Paul vs Tyson has the element of intrigue needed by any fight to take it over that threshold of being a regular event. Plus, organizers at MVP shrewdly added a rematch between Katie Taylor and Amanda Serrano into the mix.
The fact there’s no Pay-per-view and those two bouts hold so much weight, with those likely to tune in, leads many to believe the show will be a huge success and breed more YouTuber vs Legend crossovers of the same nature.
Mike Tyson will always be a draw in boxing, while Jake Paul will also be a draw where there are elevated streaming numbers. For the boxing purists, July 20 could be a make or break for the genre. If Tyson gets badly hurt when facing a young fighter at nearly sixty, that entire section of the boxing industry is in jeopardy.
Read all articles and exclusive interviews by Phil Jay. Learn more about the author, experienced boxing writer, and World Boxing News Editor since 2010. Follow on Twitter @PhilJWBN.
