Jake Paul, known for his controversial boxing matches against ex-UFC fighters, has announced his next fight in July against 58-year-old Mike Tyson, a decision that UFC welterweight Matt Brown criticizes as a step back for Paul’s career and a lose-lose situation.
Jake Paul, love him or hate him, has stirred up the boxing world. He’s been in the ring with a string of ex-UFC fighters, all of them top-tier athletes in their own right.
Sure, some were past their prime. Even Anderson Silva, who was 47 when he faced Paul, had recently bested a pro boxer, Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. Lately, Paul’s been eyeing opponents with real boxing experience. Andre August and Ryan Bourland both fell in the first round, but they had legit records.
Just days after he took down Bourland in under three minutes, Paul dropped a bombshell. He’s set to fight Mike Tyson in July. Tyson, 58, was a fearsome heavyweight in his day, but his last pro fight was in 2005. He hasn’t been in the ring since a 2020 exhibition match against Roy Jones Jr.
UFC welterweight Matt Brown, usually a Paul supporter, thinks this is a bad move. On The Fighter vs. The Writer podcast, he said, “It’s a lose-lose for him. You can’t lose to a 60-year-old man and you also can’t beat a 60-year-old man. It’s garbage to me.”
Brown thinks Paul is playing the villain, hoping to draw in viewers who want to see him knocked out. But he’s fighting a 60-year-old man. It’s a predictable storyline, and Brown calls it “straight f****** garbage.”
What’s Tyson’s angle? He had a rough patch, but he’s been on the upswing. He’s done a one-man show, appeared in films, and even has a cartoon series and podcast. Why put all that on hold to fight Paul?
Brown is baffled. “I’m surprised Mike even took it,” he said. “I don’t know what Mike is thinking here. It’s very odd that he’s taking the fight. That’s the odd part to me.”
Brown is all for Paul taking on big names from outside boxing. But Tyson? He’s nearly a senior citizen. Brown suggests Mike Perry as a better opponent. “I think that’s who he should be fighting,” he said. “Mike Tyson is not it. Leave the guy alone.”
Despite his reservations, Brown hopes Tyson is taking this seriously. “I hope…Mike Tyson has that young, 20-year-old rage, gets on some f****** steroids, does some trim, some cheque drops, and he goes in there and bites f****** Jake Paul’s ear and knocks him the f*** out,” he said.
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