Former super middleweight world champion Carl Froch has been one of the most outspoken critics of the upcoming clash between heavyweight legend Mike Tyson and social media superstar Jake Paul. The Nottingham man went viral last month after claiming that the fight on the 15th of November at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas would be scripted.
Commenting after watching Tyson joke around with Paul at a pre-fight press conference, Froch suggested: "I think he is just playing his role. In my opinion, Mike Tyson has probably got the script."
The Brit recently spoke to CoinPoker.com on behalf of GIVEMESPORT, where he doubled down on those comments, indicating that Tyson was likely to "just play the game" in the Netflix-streamed bout and not treat the fight as a serious contest.
"He Hasn't Got More Than A Round or Two in Him" - Carl Froch Talks Tyson's Return
'The Cobra' has never taken the fight with Jake Paul seriously![BOXING_Tyson Paul Fight Scandalous]()
"Is it out of the question or is it ridiculous to think that Mike Tyson might think ‘I'll get paid an extra few quid and put a bit of a show on?’ Froch asked rhetorically.
"He’s not going to have more than a round or two in him. So just play the game. Mike Tyson is going to play the game. You saw him playing the game at the press conference. He did that half-hearted shove when he was laughing and jumping around the stage all giddy. He kind of doesn’t know how to play the part. He's trying, but it just looked like a load of crap to me."
Froch was equally critical of Paul for taking the fight in the first place, arguing that he was "pretending to be a fighter".
"I don't think it should be happening because Mike Tyson's an old man. With utmost respect, he's 58. I'm too old to box and I'm 47. He's 58. And Mike Tyson was well past his best in his early 40s. Mike Tyson was losing to people that weren’t fit to lace his boots. That's my point, and that was about 20 years ago. So what's it going to be like now 20 years later against the 26-year-old 'Fake Paul'?"
|
Mike Tyson & Jake Paul's pro records (as of 13/09/2024 |
||
|---|---|---|
|
Mike Tyson |
Jake Paul |
|
|
Fights |
58 |
11 |
|
Wins |
50 |
10 |
|
Losses |
6 |
1 |
|
No contests |
2 |
0 |
Carl Froch Questions Tyson Lifestyle Ahead of Boxing Return
"I just pray that Tyson doesn't get injured"
When asked about the alleged current lifestyle of Tyson, Froch put heavy focus on his smoking habits: "He smokes a lot of weed, doesn't he?" Despite Tyson previously explaining that he is an advocate for weed and cannabis and [it's] health benefits, Froch still feels it is not benefiting Tyson from a boxing standpoint. "He's still burning weed. It's combustion, the way he inhales it, it's not good for you."
Froch then continued to bash the sporting merit of the contest, suggesting that Tyson was only taking the fight for financial reasons. "I don't know how much Tyson needs the money either. He's making lots of money. It's sad, really, if he's fighting for money. I just pray that Tyson doesn't get injured, doesn't get hurt, by that idiot, 'Fake Paul'."
The insults toward Paul continued as Froch declared that the 27-year-old "wouldn't fight anyone with a pulse!" 'The Cobra' has previously made it clear that he would be open to a fight with 'The Problem Child', but indicated that he doesn't expect it to happen, adding: "He pretends not to know who I am!"
It has emerged that the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation only intend to perform medical checks on Tyson on the 14th of November - one day before the eight-round contest is due to take place. Should he fail those checks, the bout could be downgraded to an exhibition - or scrapped entirely. Froch is one man who wouldn't shed any tears if the fight was to be cancelled.
