NEW YORK – Two generations of boxing are coming face-to-face in Arlington, Texas, in just about two months, and neither Mike Tyson nor Jake Paul Is hiding their age.
Tyson, 57, and Paul, 27, began their press tour for their much-anticipated fight on Monday at the legendary Apollo Theater in Harlem, New York. And, despite just being miles from where Tyson grew up, the crowd seemed pretty split between the two.
The July 20 bout will mark Tyson’s first fight in over four years, when he fought Roy Jones Jr. in an exhibition (Paul was on that undercard against Nate Robinson). It will be a sanctioned, professional fight, which Tyson hasn’t participated in since June 11, 2005, against Kevin McBride.
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Mike Tyson and Jake Paul at the Paul vs. Tyson and Taylor vs. Serrano 2 press conference held at the Apollo Theater on May 13, 2024 in New York City. (Steve Eichner/Variety via Getty Images)
Formerly known as the “Baddest Man on the Planet,” Tyson has been posting clips of his training, and make no mistake, his power is still there.
But he’s no spring chicken.
Of course, there are doubts whether, at his age, he can last the eight rounds, each of which will be two minutes.
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Once a man who exuded more confidence than anyone, Tyson obviously knows that Father Time is undefeated, and he was brutally honest about how he feels physically.
“My body is s— right now,” he admitted on Monday. “I’m really sore.”
That confidence Tyson once had, Paul has it all, if not more.
Mike Tyson and Jake Paul at the Paul vs. Tyson and Taylor vs. Serrano 2 press conference held at the Apollo Theater on May 13, 2024 in New York City. (Steve Eichner/Variety via Getty Images)
The YouTuber-turned-boxer has made the sport the most popular it has been since Tyson’s heyday. He’s done it in a much different way, but it’s not hyperbole when one says this may be the biggest fight in modern history.
It’s almost ironic that Paul is going from boxers hardly anyone ever heard of in his last two fights (Andre August and Ryan Bourland, each of whom were first-round knockouts) to arguably the best ever.
So, when a fan asked Paul if he could “take a hit” from Tyson, that confidence was on full display.
“They call him Iron Mike Tyson, but I’m Titanium Jake Paul.”
Prior, he said, “I’m going to show the world that I can outbox Mike Tyson, prove everyone wrong, and show that I will be the one doing the killing.”
Despite how his body feels, though, Tyson gave Paul a fair warning.
“Once he’s in that ring,” Tyson said, “he has to fight like his life depends on it, because it will be.”
Paul is 9-1 in his career, with his lone loss being via decision to Tommy Fury.
Mike Tyson, left, and Jake Paul during a pre-fight press conference held at the Apollo Theatre in New York in advance of Jake Paul and Mike Tyson’s heavyweight bout. (Ed Mulholland/Sportsfile via Getty Images)
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Tyson and Paul will now head to Dallas for one more press conference on Thursday, the same day tickets go on sale.
The fight will be broadcast on Netflix, a first-of-its-kind event, as it will be free for subscribers.
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