Jake Paul has received a stern caution about the extra padding in the gloves for his forthcoming bout against Mike Tyson, suggesting it won’t do him any favors.
In next month’s highly anticipated match-up, both Paul and Tyson will lace up their gloves for what promises to be an exceptional professional boxing event, featuring an unconventional eight rounds of two-minute each – a deviation from the more typical three-minute rounds.
Green-lighted by the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation, this sanctioned bout will see both fighters donning 14-ounce gloves, which are bulkier than the usual ones used in the ring.
Set on November 15 in Arlington, Texas, the heavyweight battle sees Paul entering the ring with momentum following his victory over ex-UFC combatant, Mike Perry. Since bursting onto the scene in 2020, he’s notched wins against names like Tyron Woodley, Anderson Silva, and Nate Diaz.
On the flip side, Tyson, now 58-years-old, hasn’t engaged in a professional battle since his defeat at the hands of Kevin McBride in 2005. Despite this, the fierce competitor did make a return for an exhibition stint as recently as four years ago, battling it out with fellow stalwart Roy Jones Jr.
Delving into this clash is none other than Hall of Fame referee Richard Steele, who’s casting doubt that the match will see its final bell. With the countdown to the fight ticking past just a fortnight-mark, the venerated ex-referee has thrown down a gauntlet to “The Problem Child”, asserting the augmented glove padding will hardly be advantageous for the youthful American.
Speaking to USA Today, the octogenarian laid it bare: “That’s still a small glove thinking about the power of Mike Tyson.”
He added: “With Mike Tyson, it’s so dangerous even for the referee because you got to be close, but you got to be far away to be able to allow them to do their thing. You had to be always aware of what’s going on because one of Mike Tyson’s punches could really hurt the other guy. And maybe he don’t need to take the other punch.”
While concern grows over Tyson’s well-being, Steele believes the boxing icon still has a shot at victory. “He’s still dangerous,” he insisted. “He has so much power… I just hope he don’t end up getting hurt or hurt the other guy.”
Doubts have been cast about “Iron Mike” taking his upcoming fight seriously after he made a startling confession. In a recent interview with Jimmy Kimmel, the 58-year-old stated he was pushing himself in training, saying: “I am training extremely hard, I do six hours a day. I start at 11am and might leave the gym at 5pm,”
A surprised Kimmel enquired further: “Oh no. 11am? So that’s six hours straight, or is there a lunch break?” Tyson disclosed that there was indeed a brief respite, prompting an astonished reaction from Kimmel: “Oh no.”
Leave a Reply