Mike Tyson gives BRUTALLY honest take on Jake Paul ahead of boxing great's November fight against the YouTuber

Why does Mike Tyson, a 58-year-old cannabis mogul, deliberation he tin conclusion an progressive boxer successful Jake Paul, who happens to beryllium 21 years his junior?

'Can I beryllium honest?' Tyson asked rhetorically during a caller question and reply pinch Esquire. 'I don't deliberation he tin wounded me.'

An ulcer flareup delayed his matchup pinch Paul from this Saturday – erstwhile nan erstwhile YouTuber will alternatively look converted bareknuckle boxer Mike Perry – until November 15.

Regardless, Iron Mike's assurance has not waned. Asked to comparison nan November comeback conflict pinch his ain 1988 triumph complete 38-year-old Larry Holmes, and Tyson refused to moreover see it. Just 21 astatine nan time, Tyson was already a unified heavyweight champion and entered that conflict astatine a cleanable 32-0.

'Larry Holmes was a legendary combatant who was fighting a champion who was progressive each time of his life,' Tyson said. 'I americium fighting a YouTuber… It doesn't matter really earnestly he's taking it. He is who he is.'

Obviously a 58-year-old Tyson is not nan aforesaid man who made mincemeat retired of nan legendary Holmes pinch a fourth-round knockout astatine nan Atlantic City Convention Hall backmost successful 1988.

During his question and reply pinch Esquire, he admitted 'I'm an aged dude,' and his wife, Kiki, reminded nan Brooklyn autochthonal to enactment hydrated while training.

'Baby,' Kiki yelled, 'drink your electrolytes much than usual!'

But moreover arsenic he nears 60 while spending nan bulk of his clip promoting his cannabis institution and podcasting, Tyson is nary alien to nan gym these days. He fought nan arsenic ancient Roy Jones Jr. to a tie successful 2020, and since past has impressed societal media audiences pinch flattering edits of training footage.

Paul, inarguably, has been much active. He's 9-1 since becoming a pro combatant successful 2020, and has flooded a number of well-known erstwhile UFC champions successful crossover boxing matches.

Also undisputable: He's chosen his opponents very carefully. Paul's first bout against an knowledgeable boxer resulted successful his only conclusion successful 2023, erstwhile he dropped a divided determination to Tommy Fury, and has yet to look a existent talent successful nan ring. Even Saturday's conflict successful Tampa pits Paul against a converted bareknuckle boxer, who hasn't put connected nan gloves since 2015.

And arsenic engaged arsenic Paul has been successful nan ring, wherever he's made millions promoting himself, he's little than a decade removed from his profession arsenic a YouTuber, philharmonic artist, and Disney Channel star. He did not turn up successful nan ring, for illustration Tyson did astatine trainer Cus D'Amato's location successful Catskill, New York.

What's more, Tyson has a fewer advantages. It's only an eight-round fight, arsenic opposed to 12, and each framework will past only 2 minutes alternatively than three, allowing nan 58-year-old nan chance to conserve and harness his power for nan correct moment.

To some, it raises nan mobility of why Tyson is moreover bothering pinch Paul.

'My woman keeps saying, 'You don't person to do this. You don't person to do this.' And I'm like, 'No, I do person to do this,' ' Tyson told Esquire, stressing that his multi-million-dollar purse 'will not alteration my life financially successful immoderate way.'

'I'm a glory junkie. I emotion group reasoning astir maine each day,' Tyson said. 'I'd alternatively unrecorded a short life of glory than a agelong life of obscurity. It's conscionable who I am.'