new york – In just about two months, two generations of boxing will go head-to-head in Arlington, Texas, and neither Mike Tyson nor Jake Paul are hiding their ages.
Tyson, 57, and Paul, 27, began the press tour for their highly anticipated fight on Monday at the legendary Apollo Theater in Harlem, New York. And despite being only a few miles away from where Tyson grew up, the crowd seemed pretty split into two.
The July 20 fight will be Tyson’s first in more than four years, having faced Roy Jones Jr. in an exhibition (Paul was on the undercard card against Nate Robinson). This will be a sanctioned professional fight, but Tyson hasn’t competed since June 11, 2005, when he fought Kevin McBride.
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Mike Tyson and Jake Paul attend the Paul vs. Tyson and Taylor vs. Serrano 2 press conferences at the Apollo Theater on May 13, 2024 in New York City. (Steve Eichner/Variety, via Getty Images)
Tyson, once known as the “baddest man on the planet,” has been posting clips of his workouts, and his power is undoubtedly still there.
But he’s not a spring chicken.
Of course, it’s questionable whether he can handle eight rounds of two minutes each at his age.
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Tyson, once the man who exuded more confidence than most, clearly knew Father Time was undefeated and was brutally honest about how he felt in his body.
“My body is terrible right now,” he admitted on Monday. “It really hurts.”
Paul has all the confidence that Tyson once had, if not more.
Mike Tyson and Jake Paul attend the Paul vs. Tyson and Taylor vs. Serrano 2 press conferences at the Apollo Theater on May 13, 2024 in New York City. (Steve Eichner/Variety, via Getty Images)
The YouTuber-turned-boxer has become the most popular sport since Tyson’s heyday. He has fought in a much different way than before, and it’s safe to say this could be the biggest fight in modern history.
It’s almost ironic that in his last two fights Paul has gone from a boxer almost no one had heard of (Andre August and Ryan Borland, both first-round knockouts) to arguably the greatest boxer of all time. is.
So when a fan asked Paul if he could “take a hit” from Tyson, his confidence was on full display.
“They call him the Iron Mike Tyson, but I’m the Titanium Jake Paul.”
Prior to this, he said, “I’m going to show the world that I can beat Mike Tyson, I’m going to prove everyone wrong, and I’m going to show that I’m a murderer.” Ta.
However, despite his body feel, Tyson gave Paul fair warning.
“Once he gets in that ring, he has to fight like his life depends on it, because it is,” Tyson said.
Paul is 9-1 in his career, with his only loss coming by decision to Tommy Fury.
Mike Tyson (left) and Jake Paul during a pre-fight press conference at the Apollo Theater in New York prior to the heavyweight bout between Jake Paul and Mike Tyson. (Ed Mulholland/Sports File via Getty Images)
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Tyson and Paul will now head to Dallas for another press conference on Thursday, when tickets go on sale.
The fight will be broadcast on Netflix, the first event of its kind, and will be available for subscribers to watch for free.
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