Mike Tyson’s health will only be examined a day before his Jake Paul fight.
Tyson will box Paul on November 15, which will air on Netflix. The 58-year-old will have his first professional fight since 2005, when he lost to Kevin McBride. Tyson’s last appearance in the boxing ring took place in 2020 when he boxed Roy Jones Jr. in an exhibition. Concerns were raised over the Paul fight when it was pulled from the initial July 20 date. Tyson withdrew after suffering from an inflamed ulcer as Mike Perry stepped in.
Paul dropped Perry three times before stopping him in round six. Paul has been much more active. Aside from the Perry fight, he has had two fights since last December. He stopped Andre August and Ryan Bourland in first-round finishes. There are worries that Tyson’s return may mirror that of Evander Holyfield.
Tyson’s Health
Holyfield made his comeback at 58 when he boxed Victor Belfort in 2021. Holyfield took repeated punishment and was dropped before the fight was stopped in the first round. According to the Texas Licensing Regulators, Tyson will only be examined a day before the fight.
“TDLR is aware of media reports regarding an episode involving Mr. Tyson. At present, Mr. Tyson and Mr. Paul have met the medical requirements for this event,” Mange told World Boxing News exclusively. Before the event, TDLR will conduct pre-fight physicals to ensure the health of both fighters.”
The fight has understandably drawn criticism. There have been calls on Paul to face tougher opposition. He has only faced one professional boxer in his career. He took on Tommy Fury and lost via a split decision. Despite dropping Fury with a jab, Paul failed to work out his opponent. Fury is not seen as a future world champion, so Paul must avenge the loss. Paul has spoken about his desire to fight Canelo Alvarez down the line.
A fight with Tyson does not take him closer to that. Paul risks harming his brand if he comes out with a loss. And yet, the fight will generate a massive payday for both men. Reports indicate they will make over $20 million for the fight without any sponsorships. But if someone suffers a serious injury, there will be mass scrutiny on the authorities for allowing the fight to go ahead. Eddie Hearn was against the fight.
Should It Happen?
“I don’t think there’s one boxing person that really wants this fight to happen. So they’re looking at it from a different angle, they’re looking at it from numbers, they’re looking to it for hype and I get it. I understand that this freak show may well do good numbers.
“But, I think if you genuinely care about the sport and the history of the sport and particularly the legacy of one of the greatest fighters of all time, it’s not something you’d ever consider. But, I understand their strategy and the business and if it does numbers, they don’t really care how it looks in terms of the empathy of it. I don’t think it’s ever something you’d see a real boxing person get involved with,” Hearn said
This article first appeared on BoxingNews.com and was syndicated with permission.
