Deontay Wilder has criticized the decision to license Mike Tyson for a boxing match against Jake Paul, expressing concern for Tyson’s safety given his age and long absence from professional boxing.
Deontay Wilder’s got a thing or two to say about knockouts. And he sure as hell doesn’t want to see Mike Tyson on the receiving end of one.
Tyson, that retired heavyweight boxing legend, is making a comeback. He’s stepping back into pro competition on June 20. His opponent? Jake Paul, a social media influencer turned boxing star. The venue? Arlington, Texas.
This fight night is a big deal. It’s been over 20 years since Tyson’s last pro bout. And get this, it’s just 10 days shy of Tyson’s 58th birthday.
Paul, on the other hand, is a young gun at 27. His professional record stands at 9-1, and he’s fresh off back-to-back knockouts. His victims? Journeymen boxers Ryan Bourland and Andre August.
Wilder had a chat with Sportsbook Review about this upcoming matchup. And boy, did he not hold back.
He’s pretty ticked off that the commission has licensed Tyson. After all, the man hasn’t been active in 20 years. Wilder thinks it’s dangerous, even reckless, to license him just because of his fame. He’s concerned about Tyson getting hurt.
He even mentioned the risk of a coma. It’s not unheard of in boxing.
Wilder acknowledges that Tyson’s power may not have completely faded. But he’s worried about Tyson’s stamina. He doesn’t want this to turn into a “clown show”. And he definitely doesn’t want to see Tyson, a legend in his eyes, fight a YouTuber.
He’s worried about Tyson’s reputation. What if Paul knocks him out?
Tyson and his team have been releasing training footage to hype up the fight. There’s some optimism that Tyson can recapture his old magic.
Paul, for his part, is used to fighting former champions and big names. But they’ve all been from the MMA world. Think Anderson Silva, Nate Diaz, and Tyron Woodley.
Wilder’s no stranger to speaking out about the dangers of boxing. He was in tears after his own knockout victory over Robert Helenius. He was genuinely concerned for Helenius’ health.
How would he react if he saw one of his heroes fall to an opponent 30 years his junior?
Wilder’s pretty blunt about it. He thinks Tyson is “too old for this”. He doesn’t think anyone really cares about Tyson. If they did, they wouldn’t sanction the fight.
He’s skeptical about the tests and all that. He thinks it’s all about being willing to suffer the consequences if something goes wrong.