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The comeback fight of legendary boxing icon Mike Tyson against a former world heavyweight champion in Roy Jones Jr. recently became the talk of the town. The main event's undercard match was just as intriguing with YouTuber Jake Paul and former NBA veteran Nate Robinson headlining the fight.
Tyson eventually applauded Jake Paul for going out of his comfort zone to provide entertainment to the people and contribute to the progression of the sport of boxing moving forward, via Insider's Alan Dawson.
“My ego says so many things but my reality is; they help boxing so much,” he said.
According to the heavyweight icon, boxing has already lost its ground to the UFC, which has been increasing in popularity in recent years. The 27-year-old company has successfully made its mark in the martial arts industry and continuously garnering millions of viewers every pay-per-view event.
Article Continues Below“Boxing owes these guys — YouTube boxers — some respect,” he continued.
“Give them some belts because these guys make boxing alive. Boxing was pretty much a dying sport. The UFC was kicking our butt.”
Tyson also added the platform and the influence that these personalities like Jake Paul have can ultimately contribute to bringing the sport of boxing back to the mainstream.
“Now we got these YouTubers, 20 million subscribers? Boxing is coming back thanks to these YouTube boxers.”
“I believe the more anyone boxes, the better it is. Boxing has taken some beatings since the UFC has been around.”
Mike Tyson and Roy Jones' fight ultimately ended in a draw while Jake Paul dealt a cold-blooded knockout to Nate Robinson in the second round of the match which earned him his second professional win in boxing.
Although not everyone is on board, the buzzing attention that the pay-per-view event recently drew in social media could eventually serve as an encouraging sign for the sport moving forward.
