UFC star Tyron Woodley has expressed his belief that YouTuber-turned-boxer Jake Paul would have been no match for Mike Tyson in his heyday.
The two boxing sensations are scheduled to face off on November 15 at the AT&T Stadium in Texas, with an audience of up to 90,000 fans expected. Both Paul and Tyson were originally slated to square off back in July, but ‘Iron Mike’ had to pull out due to an ulcer flare-up during a flight.
Since the fight’s confirmation, opinions have been divided over who will emerge victorious. Tyson, widely considered one of the greatest heavyweight fighters in history, is believed by many to still possess the power to cause a significant upset next week.
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While some maintain a positive outlook on Tyson’s chances in the upcoming bout, others express concern for the 58-year-old’s health and question the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulations’ decision to approve the match as a professional contest.
However, Woodley views it as a balanced fight and thinks ‘The Problem Child’ would have been outmatched if he had faced ‘Iron Mike’ in his prime. Speaking to TMZ, the former UFC champion stated: “It’s a very even fight, to be honest. It’s even because of the age of Mike Tyson. He’s completely obviously out of his prime.
“When in his prime, most of his fights were almost attempted murder. So literally, Jake wouldn’t have stood a chance. Nobody would even commission to sanction a fight against him and Mike Tyson (in Tyson’s prime).”
Tyson hasn’t fought professional in 19 years (
Shareif Ziyadat/Getty Images)
Woodley, 42, famously squared off with Paul three years ago, losing by split decision. They faced each other again four months later, but the former MMA champion was knocked out.
Woodley added: “Jake’s always on a win-win situation. He’s fighting guys that if he loses, ‘You lost to this guy, you lost to Tyron, you lost to Anderson Silva, you lost to Nate Diaz or whatever.’ So he’s always in a position where, if he wins, he goes up. If he loses, it’s like OK, he took a risk, he took a chance. I like the fight. I’ll be at the fight.”
‘The Problem Child’ enters the showdown with Tyson following a brutal knockout victory over former UFC welterweight contender, Mike Perry in July. As for ‘Iron Mike’, the boxing veteran hasn’t participated in a professional match since retiring mid-fight against Kevin McBride nearly 20 years ago.
However, he did step back into the ring for an exhibition match against fellow legend Roy Jones Jr. four years ago. Since the announcement of the much-anticipated heavyweight bout, Paul has been on the receiving end of considerable flak for accepting the fight. Unfazed by the criticism, the young American addressed the skeptics in a chat with TODAY, asserting: “A lot of people are wondering, ‘Jake, why are you doing this? Even if you beat him, they’re going to say he’s old’.
“But to me, Mike Tyson wanted to fight me. That is an honor. He’s one of the most famous boxers in the world to ever do it. To step in there with someone of his nature is an honor and a dream come ‘true’. It’s going to be a spectacle on Netflix.”
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