Evander Holyfield says Mike Tyson could quit in his upcoming fight with Jake Paul.
Tyson has taken a massive risk by agreeing to fight Paul on July 20 in a pro fight. It has been scheduled as an eight-rounder, with the two wearing 14-ounce gloves. They will compete in two-minute rounds, with worries over the age gap. Tyson will be 58 when he enters the ring. Meanwhile, Paul is considerably younger at 28. Tyson’s last professional fight took place in 2005. He retired hurt against Kevin McBride.
While Tyson has boxed once since then, taking on Roy Jones Jr. in an exhibition, a pro fight is completely different. Holyfield understands what can happen when boxers make a comeback at a later stage of their career. Evander did the same when he faced Vitor Belfort in 2021. Holyfield was also 58 at the time.
The fight did not go to plan, as Holyfield’s reflexes and punch resistance were not the same. He took heavy punishment in the first round, getting dropped numerous times, as he went through the ropes. The referee had seen enough, causing the referee to stop it. Holyfield expressed some worries over how Tyson would look.
Holyfield Reacts
“I don’t know, it all depends on how Jake fights. The point of the matter is whether Jake Paul takes a good shot. I have never seen him get hit by anybody. But you never know, Mike might just quit in the ring and sit down and say am done,” Holyfield said
There are question marks over why the fight is going ahead. A win for Tyson does nothing for his legacy. He is a former Undisputed Heavyweight Champion, and a loss only risks harming his health. A defeat would only suggest that Tyson was way past his best. The pressure is more on Paul to perform. He has spoken about his desire to become a world champion.
Paul has also targeted a lucrative fight with Canelo Alvarez. Those goals can only happen if Paul comes through with a Tyson win. The two fighters have shut down suggestions the fight will be scripted. Tyson is said to be earning $30 million for this fight, which excludes any sponsorships. Given the amount of money on the table, Holyfield understood the reason for taking the fight.
Motives
“I am not surprised it’s an event where both fighters are going to make a lot of money, but I think Jake Paul is showing people in boxing that if he is making all this money, why aren’t we making all this money? Being a professional is a whole different line of boxing, and the boxing that they do, they are making all the money.
“I remember they were talking about our viewership between Tyson and me. I thought you meant to tell me that we made all this money, we had all those buys, and you and your opponent get a small portion of that. They tell you how much money is left, but where is the other money going? I think that Jake Paul thinks that for our boxing, we never got paid what we should get paid,” Holyfield added
