Netflix’s preview series,Countdown: Paul Vs Tyson,has aired, prefacing its November 15 live coverage ofJake Paul’s boxing matchwith Mike Tyson.It’s a contest that has divided opinion not only in boxing circles but also in the public forum. Iron Mike, once the self-styled “baddest man in boxing,” is now 58, while Paul, the world-famous YouTuber and latter-day boxer, is 27. The two men clash at the AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas, after the fight’s original date of July 20 was called off when Tyson suffered a health scare and needed medical attention on a flight from Miami to Los Angeles.
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It is Tyson’s age and health that is the event’s principal bone of contention. Professional boxers are generally finished in their late thirties, and even an aberration likeGeorge Foreman, who captured a heavyweight world title in 1994 at age 45, was done three years later.Countdown: Paul Vs Tysonlargely side-steps the issue, preferring Rocky-style footage of Tyson bashing padded-up coaches and heavy bags, looking fit and fabulous against a static opponent that doesn’t hit back.
Supporters of the contest point to Tyson’s exhibition bout four years ago with Roy Jones Jr, when the two legends tip-toed through 10 rounds of insipid action, as proof that Iron Mike is up to the Paul bout. They ignore, of course,the sciatica that saw him wheelchair-bound after the Miami episode, which he admits flares up from time to time, or the ulcers he suffers from, or the general physical dissipation that accompanies mid/old age. The Paul-Tyson fight is not an exhibition, and real punches will be thrown. As commentator Jim Lampley once said: “The boxing ring is the wrong place to get old.”
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Jake Paul, of course, is not focused on Mike Tyson’s well-being. There’s serious money to be made, and millions of eyeballs to beguile.Paul’s boxing career is as ephemeral as his online presence, and as much as he talks up the fight inCountdown: Paul Vs Tyson:“When I knock him out I’ll be the new face of boxing,” his exploits in the ring to date have been largely ridiculed by boxing aficionados. Says former world champion Carl Froch: “I don’t really take Jake Paul seriously. He can’t box. If you put him in with a professional, it would be a mismatch.”
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Countdown: Paul Vs Tysonconveniently ignores Paul’s single contest against a “real” boxer, fellow novice and social media starTommy Fury, whose own professional credentials owe more to the genes he shares with former world heavyweight champion Tyson Fury, than to his ability in the ring. Nevertheless, Paul lost that fight. His 10 wins have come against other YouTubers, NBA and NFL stars, and aging MMA fighters. Without a single meaningful success as a professional boxer, Jake Paul has leveraged his social media presence to become one of the sport’s most talked-about commodities.
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The Two Boxers Will Share $60 Million
Whatever his perceived failings, however, Jake Paul, at 27, is big and strong, and he trains hard and diligently. Mike Tyson is 58.He was a diminished boxer at 38, and nothing in the intervening 20 years will have reversed that.InCountdown: Paul Vs Tyson,he’s shown in conspicuous shape, with his trademark menace intact. He growls out his tired old slogans to the media hounds that surround the event: “My intentions are serious. I want to hurt him. I’m an animal,” and has dutifully squared up to the frenzied Paul at the press conferences and events that typically surround major prize fights.
Paul and Tyson are set to share around $60 million from the scuffle, but that will mean little to the aging Tyson should he get hurt, and Paul’s fistic credentials will not be enhanced by one fight.
Eddie Hearn, promoter and one of boxing’s most influential figures, has roundly criticized the bout, tellingtheexpress.co.uk: “Anyone that thinks that [Tyson] should be in the ring right now either doesn’t have his best interests at heart or is an idiot.” It should be noted that Hearn has no financial stake in the fight. Paul and Tyson are set to share around $60 million from the scuffle, perthestandard.com, butthat will mean little to the aging Tyson should he get hurt, and Paul’s fistic credentials will not be enhanced by one fight. InCountdown: Paul Vs Tyson,Paul says: “When I beat Mike Tyson people won’t give me my credit. It won’t change anything.” He’s right, of course, and neither should it.
SOURCES:the express.co.uk,thestandard.com
