After a health scare postponed it, Mike Tyson's fight with Jake Paul is good to go. However, another boxing legend Oscar De La Hoya expressed his concerns about the fight. With a record of 50-6 (44 KOs) “Iron” Mike Tyson was the undisputed world heavyweight champion from 1987 to 1990, earning the moniker “the baddest man on Earth” due to his unreal knockout power that often ended bouts early. However, at 58 years old, Tyson's best years are surely behind him, and fighting the 26-year-old Paul–with a record of 10-1 (7 KOs)–might be too dangerous for him.
De La Hoya explained his concerns during an interview on Club Shay Shay, Shannon Sharpe's podcast.
“Come on, 61? I love–I saw him the other day. I love Tyson,” the Golden Boy said. When Sharpe noted Tyson's punching power, De La Hoya added, “Of course. He's got a puncher's chance the first three rounds. I'm a little scared of Tyson getting hurt after the third round. Jake Paul is a big boy! He's 26 years old, Tyson's 61. I'm happy for Tyson that he's making money, and that Tyson still loves it, and he's getting in there, he's in shape. But just be careful.”
Oscar De La Hoya sounds off on Mike Tyson, Jake Paul
The Golden Boy also gave additional comments about Paul and his fights. Earlier, De La Hoya had slammed Jake Paul for fighting Mike Tyson in the first place, calling the match “not serious” and virtually useless for building a boxer's legacy. This time, he responded to Sharpe's statement about the ex-YouTuber wanting to be taken seriously as a pro boxer.
“It's fair,” De La Hoya said. “Look, what I said to him is fair, I'm not criticizing–I'm actually commending him for getting in the ring, for taking it serious, for promoting… You know he's doing great things for fighters and for the sport, but if he's gonna take it serious the way he says he is, then take that route, the way we took it, the way the greats took it. The way fighters would have to work their way up from the start. Go fight guys who are gonna test you, not guys who don't have experience, or who are MMA fighters…. Every fight that he chooses, it's not balanced.”
While Jake Paul does hold an impressive 10-1 record as a pro boxer, it's hard to dismiss De La Hoya's thoughts on his career. Every world champion boxer clawed their way to the mountaintops, including Manny Pacquiao, Floyd Mayweather Jr., Mike Tyson, and De La Hoya himself. However, fans believe Jake Paul had only ever fought non-boxers, has-been or never-was pros, and over-the-hill champions.
Could Paul's upcoming fight with Mike Tyson add to The Problem Child's legacy? Or will Iron Mike simply be another washed-up legend to pad Paul's career?
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