Mike Tyson has been told he is 'tarnishing' his reputation by fighting Jake Paul. Legendary boxer ‘Iron Mike’ is back in the ring this summer for the first time since 2020 when he will take on YouTuber-turned-boxer Paul in a blockbuster bout scheduled for July 20.
Tyson's last professional fight took place almost two decades ago, however the upcoming clash against Paul will go on both fighter's records. The bout has been branded controversial for several reasons, not least the 31-year age gap between the pair. Former cruiserweight world champion Johnny Nelson MBE has said that Tyson is going to undermine his legacy by participating in the fight.
Speaking to BetVictor, Nelson remarked that the younger audience, who the fight is primarily aimed at, will not appreciate what Tyson has done in the ring and that viewers will just see "an old man".
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“It tarnishes Mike Tyson’s reputation,” Nelson said. “All people will see is an old man, an ex-heavyweight champion getting in the ring with Jake Paul. The younger generation will not appreciate the gravitas, the glory days, the success of Tyson. He dominated the heavyweight division. He was tremendous."
Nelson believes if the fight was taking place even at the end of Tyson's peak as a professional, there would be no question as to who would win. He has claimed he doesn't "want to see" the fight as he's afraid of what the outcome could mean for Tyson.
Johnny Nelson belives Tyson is putting his reputation on the line (Image: Getty)
“Anybody that knows anything about boxing understands that Tyson, even at the back end of his career when he wasn’t the boxer he was, would blitz Jake Paul. But now, Tyson is the same age as Jake Paul’s dad," Nelson said. "I don’t want to see it because I don’t want people to remember Mike for being turned over by some young kid,"
"If he does lose, it will haunt him for the rest of his life. I hope Tyson knocks him out but I don’t think that’s going to happen.”
The fight has been questioned in varius corners of the boxing world with some probing the legitimacy of the fight, especially since Tyson requested for the rounds to be two minutes instead of three.
According to The Mirror, when the former champion was asked why he wanted to alter the length of the rounds. He said: "I wanted shorter rounds for more action. If we have shorter rounds, we’ll fight more. More action."
Paul, who has been beaten by Tommy Fury but saw off former UFC star Nate Diaz in his last two fights, has bulked up to a 230lb ahead of the fight. Away from all the furore and hype, Nelson admitted the expected $50million that Tyson is set to receive once he steps into the ring is a hard thing to turn down.
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There's not long to go until Mike Tyson and Jake Paul face off in the ring (Image: Getty)
Nelson said: “Mike is doing it for his reasons. At 57 years old, if you’re going to be earning $50million, when are you going to come across those opportunities again? I’m quite sure Mike has justified it to himself.
“There are no benefits to the fight. All it does is improve Tyson’s bank balance, not his reputation. He is never going to reach the heights he did when he was at the peak of his career. Is knocking out Jake Paul better than the fighters he fought? No, it’s not,"
The fight will be broadcast on Netflix and, in what will give credibility to the evening, the undercard will see Amanda Serrano and Katie Taylor go head-to-head in what's a highly-anticipated rematch for the undisputed super-lightweight title. However, despite the glitz of the occasion, Nelson is not convinced the fight is about anything but money for Tyson.
“His reputation is a lot bigger than beating Jake Paul," Nelson added. "Jake Paul is buying scalps to elevate himself. He’s buying the scalp of Mike Tyson. For Tyson, it’s just about the bank balance.”
“His reputation is a lot bigger than beating Jake Paul. Jake Paul is buying scalps to elevate himself. He’s buying the scalp of Mike Tyson. For Tyson, it’s just about the bank balance.”
