Mike Tyson says he is betting on himself to defeat Jake Paul in their main event on Friday night. He does not say how much he is betting on himself, but he says it is “enough”.
The oddsmakers have Jake (10-1, 7 KOs) as the favorite over the 58-year-old Tyson (50-6, 44 KOs) for their eight-round fight, and it’s understandable why. Tyson looks like a person closer to 70 than 60, and a big reason for that is the hard life he’s had in the 19 years he’s been out of the ring.
Mike Bets On Himself
A young version of Tyson would destroy Youtuber Jake Paul within 20 seconds of the first round, but as old as ‘Iron’ Mike looks now, that doesn’t bode well for him on Friday. Mike is probably going to last more than three or four rounds against Paul, unless the latter takes it easy and doesn’t push hard.
There’s always the chance of that happening, as the fans watching Tyson’s exhibition match against Roy Jones Jr. saw saw a fight that was more like a choreographed stage play.
Jake vs. Tyson will meet in an eight-round fight at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas. The event will be shown live on Netflix. On the undercard, Amanda Serrano will face Katie Taylor in a rematch. Also on the card is WBC welterweight champion Mario Barrios, who defends against Abel Ramos.
“It’s okay, I don’t care about it. I bet on myself,” said Mike Tyson Manouk Akopyanand reacts to being told he is the underdog for his fight against Jake Paul this Friday night. “There’s enough,” an exasperated Tyson said when asked if there was a specific amount he was betting on himself.
“I’m confident I would have done well,” Tyson said of whether he would have done well in this era of the heavyweight division.
If Tyson is going to keep doing these gigs against YouTubers or other fighters he’s going to have to produce because fans won’t want to keep paying to watch him fight if he gets knocked out, quits or fights in a way that looks fake is not a real match.
Tyson’s power will surprise
“I’m dealing with the reality that I have to fight him in a specific way. It’s quite (the same). The only difference is, I get more massages now,” Tyson said of the difference in working out at 58 compared to when he was younger. “Yes, lots of therapy.”
Tyson can’t fight like he used to when he was a younger fighter 30 years ago, and he’ll have to adjust to do what he can at his age. If the 27-year-old Jake can push a fast pace, he can get Tyson out of there.
“I was born to do this. I was born to sell out stadiums. It’s all I’ve wanted to do my whole life,” Tyson said of being able to sell out stadiums.
I don’t think it’s bad. You’d be surprised,” Tyson said of his strength at his age. “Monday and Wednesday I saved eight laps. So, I go the distance every day in the gym.”
