By Matt Christie
According to a press release, the upcoming boxing event between Mike Tyson and Jake Paul on July 20 in Dallas has the potential to become the biggest boxing event in history, surpassing even Floyd Mayweather’s fights with Conor McGregor and Manny Pacquiao.
The age difference between the 58-year-old Tyson and the 27-year-old Jake Paul is significant, with Tyson having retired in 2005, almost 20 years ago. Despite Paul’s limited fighting skills and Tyson’s past prowess in the 1980s, the 31-year age gap is concerning for a boxing match.
Tyson has expressed interest in fighting Paul, claiming he can anticipate Paul’s punches and that with proper training, he could beat anyone. However, considering Tyson’s last fight in 2005 and his struggles with slower reactions, is it realistic to believe that he has significantly improved in the past 19 years?
The event, set to be broadcast on Netflix, has drawn attention for choosing a novelty match over showcasing top fighters like Terence Crawford or Naoya Inoue. The hype surrounding Tyson-Paul suggests it could attract a massive audience despite the age gap between the fighters.
While comparisons to Mayweather-McGregor are made, highlighting the appeal of novelty matches, the boxing world faces a dilemma with events like Tyson versus Paul overshadowing genuine fights between skilled boxers like Mayweather and Pacquiao.
Despite some dismissing Tyson-Paul as just harmless fun, concerns remain about the spectacle of a 58-year-old Tyson facing a much younger opponent. Past examples of older fighters struggling in the ring raise doubts about the outcome of such matchups.
The legacy of Mayweather-Pacquiao as a true superfight between boxing legends contrasts with the trend of novelty matches dominating the sport. The inability of the boxing world to prioritize genuine matchups over spectacles like Tyson versus Paul raises questions about the future direction of the sport.