Former undisputed world heavyweight champion Mike Tyson is expected to have his first professionally sanctioned boxing fight in nearly 20 years when he takes on YouTuber and actor-turned-boxer Jake Paul.
Tyson became the youngest boxer in history to win a major heavyweight title when he was just 20 years old, all the way back in 1986. Tyson held one by one all three major titles of his day (the WBA, WBC and IBF ) won. , and he additionally earned a valid claim to the lineage when he stopped Michael Spinks in one round back in June 1988. At that point, Iron Mike was the baddest man on the planet.
But Tyson’s reign came to a sudden and abrupt end at the hands of Buster Douglas. After that, Tyson’s career fell apart. He was out of action for over 4 years, and when he returned, despite regaining the WBA and WBC titles, he was never the same boxer. Tyson’s last professional loss to Kevin McBride came in June 2005.
So by the time 58-year-old Mike Tyson steps into the ring against 27-year-old Jake Paul, it will have been nearly 20 years since Tyson last had a professional bout. To put things into perspective here, Tyson won his first major world championship in November 1986, and Paul wasn’t born until January 1997. This is insane! Paul was born between Tyson’s first loss to Holyfield, and the infamous bite fight that took place when Paul was just 5 months old.
To date, Paul has had 11 professional fights and won 10, with 7 of those wins coming inside the distance. Most of his fights were against guys who weren’t professional boxers. In his most recent fight back in July, Paul won by 6th round stoppage against Mike Perry, an MMA boxer and also a bare knuckle boxer. Ironically, that was the date Paul was originally scheduled to face Iron Mike, but that fight was pushed back to November after Tyson suffered an ulcer flare-up on a plane, and medical professionals advised him not to fight until he recovered have of the episode. The whole situation is very strange all around. On the one hand you have an ex-player who is literally 35 years removed from his best fighting days, and on the other hand you have a young man in his physical prime, who has some boxing experience even though he has never competed not. the elite level.
Can 58-year-old Iron Mike Tyson turn back the clock and beat Jake Paul?
This issue of Rummy’s Corner will attempt to answer that question while also providing a quick preview of the upcoming fight between Mike Tyson and Jake Paul, which will be streamed live on Netflix on November 15th. Please watch and enjoy the video for one man’s opinion. This is Rummy’s Corner (produced and narrated by Geoffrey Ciani).
